Public transport and the election in Northumberland: “I’m late for work because of my bus”

June 25, 2024

Image description, Brandon Fleet, 22, from Bedlington, Northumberland, says he is fed up with unreliable bus services

Author, Chris Robinson
Role, BBC News, North East and Cumbria
21 minutes ago

Ahead of the general election, the BBC is looking at the issues that matter most to you through Your Voice, Your Vote.

Brandon Fleet, 22, from Bedlington, Northumberland, told us he is so fed up with local buses being late or ‘not coming’ that he has to walk to work to avoid a pay cut.

“I need the money and can’t afford to lose those minutes,” he said.

He wants to know what the future government will do to improve local transport for the local population.

Brandon says the bus he uses – which runs twice an hour – is often late or temporarily cancelled.

“There will be a delay of 10 to 15 minutes, not just a few minutes,” he said.

“I should be able to get to work without any problems. When you work several days in a row and run back and forth, it’s just very tiring.”

He does not drive and although he is fit enough to walk half an hour to his job at a garage in Bebside, near Blyth, walking home in the dark is a problem. He worries about others.

“You have to make an extra effort to get a taxi or get a ride from a work colleague,” he said.

He would like to see more frequent bus services and a “more reliable network” where buses are readily available.

“I think I would support public buses or something where people are involved in how buses are set up and operated,” he added.

Brandon called on the future government to invest more money in local transport.

“Ultimately, it is the local people who depend on it and they need this support locally.”

Arriva North East, the bus company for Brandon, blamed roadworks.

“This situation is clearly beyond our control, but our bus drivers are facing the same issues as all other road users in the area,” a spokesman added.

The company said it had worked with the council and communicated its concerns.

“Like all bus companies, we have been suffering from a well-documented driver shortage since the pandemic. However, we are pleased to announce that we have an additional 38 new employees in the pipeline as of last week, plus 10 temporary workers to make up for the current shortage until these new employees pass their tests.”

This is how the parties want to tackle the problem:

Work According to the agency, it would lift the current ban on municipal ownership, which prevents municipalities from setting up bus companies, give local politicians more control over bus routes and timetables and enable them to create integrated transport systems for “smoother journeys”.
The conservative say they would use the savings from HS2 to transform local transport, providing £4.7 billion for transport priorities in smaller towns, cities and rural areas in the North and Midlands, and a further £1 billion for new bus routes.
The Liberal Democrats say they would support rural bus routes and encourage alternatives where this is not possible, such as on-demand services. They also want to give local authorities the power to franchise services so that bus routes can be restored or new ones added if there is local need.
The Green would campaign for local authorities to control bus services and ensure buses run to every village in rural areas. They have announced they would increase public subsidies for rail and bus travel to £10 billion by the end of the next parliamentary term to make public transport more reliable and frequent.
Reform Great Britain would accelerate the focus on the transport infrastructure of our coastal regions, including the North. It would improve existing rail and road links and designate integrated services as ‘critical’.

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