Regular readers of the Reporter over the years will know I’m a self-confessed transport geek. I make no apology for spending a lot of time meeting transport providers and pushing for improved services, because if we can’t rely on our buses and trains to get us to school, work, college and social commitments on time, then we can’t build the kind of thriving economy I want to see in Tameside and across the North West.

That’s why I really pleased that Labour nationally have produced transformative plans to deliver better bus services across the country, which could mean up to 218 bus routes created or saved across the North West and 48 million additional journeys per year across our region, compared to today’s failed system.

Since buses were deregulated in 1985, bus services in England’s regions outside London have collapsed, with 1.5 billion fewer annual bus journeys in 2019 than in 1985. There are almost 300 million fewer miles driven by buses per year since the Conservatives came to power in 2010, with thousands of bus services cut since.

Labour’s plans will ensure better value for money for the taxpayer, deliver a better service for passengers and give local authorities a choice over the bus system that works best for them. It will require no additional central government spending.

The plan will also see better buses delivered faster. As an original backer of the bus franchising bill, I know it was a long six year slog for us to take back control of our buses here in Greater Manchester. Labour’s plans nationally will mean other areas can get this process done in as little as 2 years.

Thanks to Andy Burnham’s Bee Network, across Greater Manchester has bus reliability and passenger numbers have both improved less than a year after bus franchising went live. I am excited that the Bee Network will be rolled out across more of Tameside in the months to come, so we can feel more of these benefits locally, too.

Labour’s plan, led by my colleague Shadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh, will allow every community to take back control of their buses; accelerate the franchising process; increase accountability over bus operator standards; and remove the ideological ban on publicly owned bus companies.

Buses have been broken for too long in this country. I’m excited by the progress we are about to see locally, and proud to be part of the team delivering serious long-term solutions across the country.