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01
Oct
Explained: Why David Skaith is taking the first step to bus franchising in North Yorkshire
When asked at a meeting in Harrogate this past week how he could be certain over the cost of bus franchising, David Skaith took aim at private operators and appeared bullish over the policy.
Tomorrow (October 2), the Labour Mayor of York and North Yorkshire is expected to sign off on a statutory notice of intent to start the assessment for a franchise model in the region.
The move is expected to get the ball rolling on a policy which may take years to come to fruition.
But why is Mr Skaith pushing for a franchising model and what will it mean?
What is franchising?
Bus franchising is when a public transport authority awards exclusive contracts to a private operator to operate bus services in a specific area or on specific routes.
It means that the transport authority, such as a combined authority, takes control of timetables, fares and routes.
The powers have been used by some Labour politicians, such as Andy Burnham during his time as Mayor of Greater Manchester, to reverse Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's move to deregulate the bus network in 1986.
York and North Yorkshire mayor David Skaith (left) is a key regional ally of Andy Burnham (right).
Greater Manchester launched a fully franchised bus network in January 2025 after Mr Burnham pledged to take buses back into public control.
Meanwhile, Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, has also introduced a similar model in West Yorkshire, which is expected to be fully operational in spring 2027.
Why does Mayor Skaith want to do this?
Mr Skaith has long been critical of the bus service in York and North Yorkshire.
During a meeting of Harrogate and Knaresborough area constituency committee on September 24, the Labour mayor described services in the region as “broken”.
Speaking to the Stray Ferret in April 2025, when he confirmed that he was eyeing a franchise model for the region, Mr Skaith said services were “not good enough” and pledged to make them “accessible, affordable, and convenient”.
David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire.
For Mr Skaith, improving the network has long been one of his mayoral priorities.
However, his comments on September 24 in Harrogate signalled that he was now prepared to go the whole hog and pursue a franchise model for the region.
He was explicit in his criticism of private operators who — in his words — would continue to cut services if they could not make money.
Mr Skaith said:
Ultimately, I see moving away from a private operator model as the key. We are subsidising so much money and where is that going? It is going to private operators. As long as the service is not making them any money, they will cut it.
At the end of the day, a bus service is more than just making a profit. It is about moving people around sustainably for healthcare, education, college and for the enjoyment of life, frankly.
More than halfway into this four-year mayoral term, Mr Skaith appears bullish about pursuing bus franchising — even if it does not ultimately come to fruition.
What will it cost?
Implementing a franchised bus service is not cheap.
According to a combined authority report due before the cabinet on Friday, the assessment process — which will consider how a franchised bus service may look in York and North Yorkshire — is expected to cost £3.5 million.
This money would be used to address resourcing within the authority to draw up a franchising assessment.
The report adds that at this stage "there is no clear understanding" of what the overall cost of operating a franchising model in York and North Yorkshire would be.
But the model is not cheap.
A number 2 bus in Harrogate.
For example, Greater Manchester Combined Authority estimated it cost £135 million, which included between £15 million and £22 million in annual start-up costs, such as purchasing depots and fleet.
In West Yorkshire, the combined authority estimated a £15.1 million transition cost to the system over four years and £85 million on purchasing depots.
What happens now?
It is important to stress that Mr Skaith’s decision on Friday is only the first stage of the process.
The mayor said the move did not necessarily mean the combined authority will franchise the bus network, but that it would be the “start of a journey” towards a franchise model.
However, should Mr Skaith push for the policy to be implemented, it will likely take beyond his mayoral term — which ends in 2028. If he is not re-elected, his successor may be less keen to pursue it.
Implementing franchising takes time. It took Ms Brabin two terms to get a scheme off the ground in West Yorkshire. Mr Burnham required four years in Greater Manchester to introduce the model.
For the Labour mayor, his decision on Friday will likely be the first of many if he wants to see buses back under public control.
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