Gareth Bacon

Gareth Bacon

Conservative — Orpington

Speaking in the House of Commons on 2 June 2025

Debate

Bus Services (No. 2) Bill [Lords]

Contribution

I will make a bit of progress. However, the Bill in its original form does not do that. The Secretary of State has acknowledged, and I agree, that the Bill does not mandate franchising everywhere, and that is a sensible step, but the Bill does not prioritise passengers, and nothing in it guarantees an improvement in service standards. The truth is that this Bill appears to be driven by political nostalgia. It is in many ways a thinly veiled attempt to recreate the municipal model of the pre-1986 era, without fully considering the financial and operational realities of today.

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