BUSES

That this House notes the provisions of the Local Transport Bill which offer the prospect of more fully empowered locally accountable transport authorities better able to tackle traffic congestion, transform bus services and deliver fully integrated transport networks; but calls for provisions on buses to be strengthened to make the franchising of bus networks a more realistic option for local transport authorities through local determination of franchising schemes and by providing better protection for the workforce, for passengers and for depots during the transition to franchising to prevent existing unregulated monopoly operators from carrying out their threats to undermine franchising proposals.