Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland MP urges action to support local services
Middlesbrough, 3 June 2025
The government’s new Bus Services Bill passed its second reading in the House of Commons this week, offering long-awaited powers to local leaders to take control of failing services.
Luke Myer, Member of Parliament for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, welcomed the vote as a major step forward and called on the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) to use the new powers to bring local bus services back into public hands. Luke met with Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander to discuss the future of local services and shared his concerns that currently rural communities in East Cleveland such as Brotton, Boosbeck, Lingdale and North Skelton are being left behind.
Despite millions of pounds of public subsidy flowing to private operators Arriva and Stagecoach, services remain limited and at risk. In July 2023, over a dozen routes were threatened with closure, prompting local councils to divert emergency funding to save and other services are left to review on a six monthly to one year basis..
Luke said the TVCA and the Mayor must now act, using the powers granted in the Bill to take real control of local services, including considering public ownership or franchising, as a priority over
Luke Myer MP said:
“Our bus services are broken but I’m working with our Labour government to fix them.
“East Cleveland has been hit hard by cuts over the last decade, losing essential links between towns and villages. Many communities are now left with infrequent or unreliable services, while key connections, such as from Brotton High Street to other areas and between Guisborough and Saltburn are still missing. Without renewal of the Tees Flex scheme, which is currently funded up to August, there are serious concerns that villages like North Skelton will also become completely isolated.
“Last night we voted the Bus Services Bill through to the next stage. It will allow the Tees Valley Mayor to take control of buses, save routes, access more funding and protect passengers, not just profits. It’s now up to our Mayor to use those powers and I will keep pushing to sort our buses out.”
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said:
“We’re committed to giving local leaders the power to shape the bus services their communities rely on. Our Bus Services Bill is a big step forward… building on our £1 billion investment to improve and maintain bus services, keeping people connected.”
References:
- Government announcement on Bus Services Bill (December 2024):
Better buses on the way as government introduces new legislation to boost local control of services - Second reading of Bus Services Bill (June 2025):
Vital rural bus routes protected and fares capped as Bus Bill passes through Parliament - Government response on bus funding and new passenger powers:
Vital routes to be protected as part of buses overhaul - TVCA public statement on 2023 bus funding crisis:
TVCA statement on emergency bus route funding (Redcar & Cleveland Council news) - TVCA Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) funding allocations:
Department for Transport BSIP funding summary – North East and Tees Valley - Comparison with Manchester’s public transport model expansion:
Transport for Greater Manchester – Bee Network ridership and expansion plans - Background on rural service losses and community impact:
Department for Transport statistics show around 300 million miles of bus routes were lost nationally between 2010 and 2024, with the steepest losses in rural and coastal areas.