BUS companies could be told which routes to run, how often and what fares to charge under new proposals.

Kirklees councillors are being urged to back plans for a Quality Bus Contract Scheme at a meeting of West Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority tomorrow in Leeds.

The aim is that it will bring in more consistent services – and even better bus shelters.

West Yorkshire Metro, which oversees local bus and rail services, said developing such a scheme would pave the way for a ‘franchised bus network’ in West Yorkshire that people in London have enjoyed for years.

Metro said the scheme would also respond to complaints from local bus users and the findings of an Office of Fair Trading investigation of the bus industry, which identified anti-competitive practices where operators had local monopolies.

A Metro spokesman said: “Through a Bus Quality Contract, Metro would be able to specify local bus routes, frequencies and fares – removing the current confusion over different operators’ tickets and reducing the number of service changes.

“Operators would bid to run services which would be managed though contracts designed to provide consistent high standards across the county.

“As well as serving the main centres, the bus network would provide good interchange with other bus and rail services.”

Metro said other measures which could be introduced as part of the 10-year contracts would include better bus shelters, more ‘real-time’ information for passengers, extending CCTV on buses and introducing environmental improvements.

Metro chairman Clr Ryk Downes said: “We want to use Quality Contracts to increase bus use rather than continuing to see price hikes and service withdrawals which result in a decline in the numbers of fare-paying passengers.

“This is not about interfering – as the bus operators and some national politicians might say.

“It’s about developing the types of affordable bus services that local people tell us they want and ensuring the experience and skill of bus operators is focused upon delivering services to a consistently high standard though 10-year contracts.”

Clr Downes said the contracts – already operating in London and several European cities – would attract new customers, reduce congestion and protect local transport jobs.

“We want to be able to reward operators for providing a good service while also being in a position to take corrective measures if passengers are let down,” said Clr Downes.

“More than £90m of taxpayers money is already spent each year supporting bus services in West Yorkshire with very little influence on the standard of service received by customers.

“We have already identified that we could demonstrate better value for taxpayers’ money.”

Clr Downes said transport authorities covering other towns and cities were pushing for all-Party support for Quality Contracts among MPs at Westminster.

He added: “If people in London deserve this quality of bus service, then so do the people of West Yorkshire and the other major conurbations in England.”