Buses are the most commonly used form of public transport in England - yet in recent years routes have been disappearing at an alarming rate.
One area bucking the national trend is Reading. The town - 40 miles to the west of London - was hit by Covid restrictions like everywhere else but the number of journeys on local bus services had been on the rise before the pandemic too. Reading is one of only five areas in England where the local bus company is owned by the council.
“You have local people that live and breathe the area, running the services and working out what should happen. It’s not a central head office, hundreds of miles away.” It also means that if the council puts money into things like bus lanes it sees a direct return - better services, more passengers and higher revenue from fares which can then be reinvested.
If it wins power, Labour says it would give all areas the same opportunity to introduce franchising as metro mayors, as well as allowing councils and regional mayors to set up their own bus companies.