The second roll-out of publicly owned buses across the Liverpool City Region will hit the roads this weekend. Services across Wirral will be under public control for the first time in 40 years when passengers board this Sunday.
Last month, the first of a series of tranches began in St Helens in a move that gives the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority the power to set fares and decide on which routes and timetables to run. It has been a key pledge of Mayor Steve Rotheram's time in power.
New routes and fleet for Wirral
As part of the roll-out, a series of new routes are being developed, including new services linking to both Arrowe Park Hospital and Clatterbridge Cancer Centre. An all-new bus fleet will also be rolled out across the Wirral network, decked out in the region's distinctive yellow and grey Metro livery.
The low-emission, state-of-the-art vehicles are packed with features designed to make bus travel more comfortable and accessible, including better seats, USB charging and more space for wheelchairs and prams. All new and existing bus numbers will now start with 4 – for example, the 17 service will become 417.
Mayor and council leader welcome the change
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “In just a few days’ time, we are taking the next huge step in turning the page on four decades of deregulated, fragmented bus services and bringing Wirral’s network back under public control where it belongs.
“We’ve already seen in St Helens what a difference this can make, and people across Wirral will start seeing the benefits from day one – more buses, better evening and weekend services, improved connections and a brand-new fleet.
“With £2 fares, more reliable services and a network that is properly joined up with both our trains and our new ferry cross the Mersey, we’re building a system that works for everyone and, and one that people can be proud of.”
Cllr Paula Basnett, leader of Wirral Council, added: "Good public transport is essential to helping people access jobs, education, healthcare and leisure opportunities, so it's exciting to see this significant new chapter for bus services begin in Wirral.
"From more frequent services and better evening and weekend connections to new links serving key destinations across the borough, these changes are designed to make it easier for residents to get where they need to be.
"For many people, buses are a vital part of everyday life. Bringing services back under public control gives us the opportunity to build a network that better reflects the needs of our communities and supports our ambitions for a more connected, inclusive and sustainable Wirral."
