With franchising for us, how does it work in practice? For Manchester, (source at foot):-"Expenditure on Bus Franchising will provide implementation and operation of the scheme with procurement of equipment, systems and associated services. There will also be borrowing costs in relation to the purchase of land and property to provide bus depots."For 23/24, bus franchising cost is £16 m. Cost for existing FFPT is £89 m (includes Bus Capped Fare Schemes) out of £300 m total expenditure.” SELF: Money (hundreds of millions) saved from ditching Metro and Sprint extensions should go to cover FFPT costs."GM’s move to bus franchising is a key enabler for delivering this transformational change." Source: GMCA website. BUT:Most councils are coming under financial pressures, with a new Labour national government unlikely to be more generous towards public transport than the Tories.What were the latest annual figures for the cost of FFPT aka concessionary travel in the West Midlands?Manchester has also capped its bus fares, as TfWM/WMCA has too. But FFPT advantages and costs far outweigh the advantages and, perhaps, bigger costs that will arise from franchising. I think, money given to FFPT will have a much greater effect in getting modal shift - cars down, buses up. With the bus/business lane suggestion of carrot and stick.Therefore, don't further delay FFPT by giving top priority to work on and to finance franchising. The present system means that loss making bus services are already under public control because our taxes pay to cover their loss making costs.Shareholders gain from the popular profitable routes but how will that work with, presumably council taxpayers having to buy out or compensate the bus companies and shareholders in some way? Is that correct?The popular routes are profitable and only strict regulation and the raising of standards by TfWM can make things improve.The Number One problem, as I see it, are the thoughtless commuters who clog up the roads, waste electricity and finite fossil fuels and worsen the climate emergency by using their motors when they do not need to use them for their paid employment.They must be rewarded by leaving their cars at home and travelling into work by bus, train and tram - for free throughout the West Midlands, as I've had for 16 years. And by bus throughout England, for free. I've put it like this:THE PROBLEM
Clogged rush hour roads on radial main roads.
Commuter cars are the problem.
Reward them to encourage them to leave them at home, to take the bus, train, tram.
Give them and us all FFPT, more buses, more smaller buses, more frequently.
Use CCTV to charge commuter cars who have not registered and, therefore, must pay the charge.
Proof must be provided by essential vehicle users to have the privilege of registering and so get emptier roads to speed them on their lawful business.
SHORTER:
Clogged roads. So:
Stop the commuters by rewards
FFPT, more buses and smaller
All essential users must register
If you don't, you get charged to pay for FFPT & superior bus provision.
MORE SHORTS:
Stop thinking that homes, offices, shops, factories and vehicles must run down railway lines.
Use railway lines for railway trains.
End Metro and Sprint expansion. Pour that money into buses and FFPT.
Connect the Dudley Tram to the national railway network at Stourbridge Jct, with electric bus connection to Merry Hill from the Waterfront.
This saves nature, public open space and housing land at Merry Hill. And, my very important vertical, guerrilla garden!
SOURCE:
https://www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/who-we-are/accounts-transparency-and-governance/council-tax/council-tax-transport-funding/
AND,
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/jan/07/the-guardian-view-on-fare-free-public-transport-good-for-people-as-well-as-the-planet
Best wishes and thanks for any help you can give me in putting me right and even agreeing with me, for once!! 
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