Today (October 26) marks 30 years since the Tories disastrously privatised Britain’s buses. The failed record of deregulation is that fares have risen while bus usage has fallen by more than a third, helping create Britain’s congestion crisis.

The 1985 Transport Act came into effect on October 26 1986, deregulating the bus industry in England outside of London. The Tories argued deregulating the bus industry would deliver greater competition, but the market is now dominated by five big bus operators, with parts of the country effectively run as private monopolies.

Outside London, bus patronage is now around 39 per cent lower than it was on the eve of deregulation in 1986. Even in just the year between 1985/86 and 1986/87 (when deregulation occurred) bus patronage outside London dropped by 7.5 per cent.

The drop in bus passenger journeys since deregulation has disproportionately affected the north – with both the North East and Yorkshire and the Humber seeing patronage slashed by over half since 1985.

According to the DfT’s local bus fares index, bus fares in England outside London have risen by over 156 per cent between 1995 and 2016. The retail price index rose by 77 per cent over the same period, which means bus fares have risen in real terms.

Daniel Zeichner MP, Labour’s Shadow Local Transport Minister, said:

“Thanks to the damage done by deregulation, bus companies have been able to put profit above passengers for the past 30 years.

“The Tories said deregulation would improve our buses but their failure is clear for all to see: rising fares, plummeting patronage and too many areas where pensioners have a bus pass but no bus. London rejected deregulation and has a much better service today.

“Almost half of bus company income comes from the public purse, but buses aren’t treated as a public service. Commercial operators can simply pull a route or service and stretched local authorities are left to pick up the pieces.

“With the Bus Services Bill soon to arrive in the House of Commons, Labour will be fighting to change that.”