The North East Combined Authority (NECA), made up of representatives of local councils, agreed on 21 October to introduce a Quality Contracts Scheme (QCS) which could give a £272 million economic boost to the region over the next decade in terms of reduced fares, better services and less road congestion.
It could also provide a reduction and freezing of the subsidies that currently go to the private bus companies.
Unite participated in the consultation on the QCS proposals. Unite national officer for passenger transport Bobby Morton said: “This decision will mean an end to unregulated bus operators cutting routes and channeling profits out of the region to their profit-hungry shareholders. This could herald a revolution in the way bus services are managed and developed across the country for the benefit of passengers. For the first time, a council regulated network of buses could be established outside London since 1986.”
ITF inland transport secretary Mac Urata welcomed the NECA decision and applauded Unite’s determination to continue to negotiate improvements for its bus workers in the region.
He added that this was the kind of outcome the ITF was fighting for in its Our Public Transport campaign, which was agreed at the ITF congress in August.
Read the briefing on the Nexus quality contract proposal.
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