Reducing the permitted driving time of bus drivers to nine hours per day has been suggested by the MP for Brighton Pavilion Siân Berry. This would bring it in line with HGV driver hours.

The Green Party MP made the suggestion as part of a series of new clauses she is proposing for the Bus Services Bill currently being debated in Parliament. Siân has tabled a series of amendments focused on tackling road danger, helping councils to run their own bus services and adding more toilets, crossings and live travel information around bus stops and bus stations.

Empowering councils

Her main amendments include empowering councils to directly award bus contracts to publicly owned bus companies. Her amendments to Clause 13 aim to make it easier for local authorities to take advantage of new powers in the Bill by directly awarding contracts to new Local Government Bus Companies.

She suggests expanding the definition of ‘socially necessary’ bus services to include those that help people access healthcare and education, and to include bus services cut during austerity.

She suggests providing bus passengers with more accessibility information, including the number of wheelchair spaces. Additionally, she calls for offering more information at bus stops, shelters and stations for passengers. Amendments to Clause 30 would require that bus stops and routes have safe road crossings to reach them, regular access to toilet facilities, and accessible real-time bus service information available.

A key change Siân will be opposing is the Government’s plan to remove Clause 39, which sets out requirements for a Vision Zero programme for buses that means the Government must implement a strategy to eliminate deaths and serious injuries from the national bus network.

Siân is also pushing for a requirement for bus operators to regularly publish bus safety data, as well as requiring the Government to consider removing time restrictions to let older people and disabled bus pass holders use them 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And New Clause 9 would require a look at better discounts and free travel options for under-18s.

“My amendments aim to make it easier for councils to run their own bus services and build routes that serve passengers, not profit, with high quality and accessible services” – MP for Brighton Pavilion Siân Berry

Siân said: “Without the proper support, local authorities will struggle to take advantage of the excellent new powers this Bill offers. My amendments aim to make it easier for councils to run their own bus services and build routes that serve passengers, not profit, with high quality and accessible services.

“My other simple additions would make buses more useful, easier to use, and more accessible, and make sure we pave the way to end fatalities and serious injuries on the network.”