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Sep 9 2024

‘Bus revolution’ measures unveiled to ‘save vital routes’ across the country | UK News

A “bus revolution” will save vital routes and put passengers first, the government has said, as it unveiled new measures which include plans to further support franchising.

The legislation, which will be laid out before parliament on Monday, will give all local transport authorities new powers to run their own bus services.

Only metro mayors at the moment can control services in this way.

It will be presented in the form of a statutory instrument, meaning it does not need to be passed by parliament.

The government has also launched a consultation on simplified guidance hoping to speed up processes and reduce costs for local leaders looking to bring services into public control.

Known as bus franchising, this model involves local authorities granting private companies the right to operate in a specific area but keeping control over key aspects.

This could include routes, timetables and fares.

According to the Department for Transport, the annual total distance travelled by buses in England has fallen by nearly 300 million miles since 2010.

The department plans to present a Buses Bill later in this parliamentary session to further support franchising.

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh hailed the measures as “the first stop on our journey to delivering better buses across the country”.

“After decades of failed deregulation, local leaders will finally have the powers to provide services that deliver for passengers,” she said.

“And we are taking steps to support local leaders to deliver improved bus services faster and cheaper than ever before.

“With local communities firmly back in the driving seat, our bus revolution will save vital routes up and down the country and put passengers first.”

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Helen Whately, the shadow transport secretary, said Labour’s plans are unfunded.

“They need to explain whether local authorities will raise council tax or make cuts to vital services like social care to fund this,” she said.

“Moreover, it won’t make a blind bit of difference for passengers. It won’t increase the number of services and they would much prefer to have the £2 fare cap extended at the budget.”

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Apr 26 2023

Suella Braverman rules out introducing safe routes for Sudan asylum seekers after fighting | Politics News

Suella Braverman has ruled out introducing a safe and legal route for asylum seekers in Sudan to seek refuge in the UK.

Earlier, Rishi Sunak refused to commit to such a route when pressed by the SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn during PMQs.

Asked whether the UK was going to “start looking at safe routes for refugees from Sudan”, Ms Braverman replied: “We have no plans to do that.

“Our focus, first and foremost, right now, and bearing in mind this is a fast-moving situation and a complex situation, is to support British nationals and their dependents.”

Sudan live: First Britons land back in UK after ‘chaotic’ evacuation

At least 300 UK citizens have been removed from Sudan, with the first plane load returning to British soil this afternoon after exiting the African nation via Cyprus.

A shaky ceasefire is currently in place in Sudan as people seek to flee violence which has left at least 459 people dead, according to the World Health Organization – although this figure is expected to rise.

Those eligible to come to the UK have been told to make their own way to an airfield near the capital Khartoum so they can be airlifted to Cyprus.

But there are concerns some may have to travel hundreds of miles to the coast if the threads of peace sever.

What’s happening in Sudan?

The potential for a humanitarian crisis – the WHO reckons only 16% of the country’s medical facilities are functioning – has led to calls for the UK to open up routes to asylum seekers.

Mr Flynn said: “To be clear, and I think everyone in the House [of Commons] is aware of this, children in Sudan are already dying.”

He called for “more humanity” in the debate from all sides, and then asked if it was the government’s plan “to detain and deport a child refugee who flees Sudan and comes to the United Kingdom?”

Mr Sunak said the UK has invested almost a quarter of a million pounds in humanitarian support in Sudan in the past five years – and noted the UK has welcomed almost 500,000 vulnerable people to the country in the “last few years”.

The question of how the UK will support potential asylum seekers outside of specific schemes like Ukraine, Afghanistan and Hong Kong has repeatedly cropped up as the government attempts to reform the immigration system.

This included a moment when Ms Braverman appeared unable to explain how someone wanting to claim asylum in the UK could do so.

MPs were today debating amendments to the government’s Illegal Migration Bill.

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