Liverpool City Region embarks on ‘new era’ as it begins franchising bus network

The first Liverpool City Region-franchised buses are to start running in St Helens by late 2026, with the entire city region using a fully franchised system by the end of 2028.

Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram made the decision to franchise the area’s bus network on Friday after the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority meeting. The only other communities with a franchised bus system in England are Greater Manchester and London.

Private operators will still run the bus services in the city region under the franchise deal, but the combined authority will control fares, timetables, and routes. The move to franchise also allows the combined authority to reinvest any profit back into the network.

“Today marks the start of a new era for public transport in our area – we’re taking back control of our buses!” Rotheram said.

He described the current non-franchised bus system as “second-class service that places profit before passengers and leaves behind the very people who need it the most”. Franchising, Rotheram said, would change that, ensuring that “bus services are run in the best interests of passengers – not shareholders”.

Liverpool City Council Leader Cllr Liam Robinson endorsed the move, describing it as “a landmark decision”.

He added: “This important step forward means we can now start planning for how we improve bus services in the future, whether that’s by simplifying ticketing to ensure passengers always pay the lowest fares for their journeys or making sure services are better connected with rail, active travel routes and our Mersey Ferries.”