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Wirral passengers will see buses return to public control from Sunday 25 October, as the Liverpool City Region's transport revolution expands following a successful launch in St Helens. This is the first time in 40 years that buses have been publicly controlled.
The Liverpool City Region has announced that the St Helens network, which launched on September 6, has surpassed 1 million journeys since the buses returned to public control. Figures from Liverpool City Region's Combined Authority state reliability has hit 97%, with punctuality improving by more than 10% since launch day to stand at over 70%.
Wirral is next, with more frequent daytime services announced, as well as more Sunday and early-morning buses. Two new services were announced last week, linking passengers to Arrowe Park Hospital, Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, nearby local town centres and transport.
All Wirral services will be renumbered to start with the prefix 4 – so service 17 becomes 417 – to eliminate duplicate numbers across the region. A new fleet of low-emission, publicly owned Metro buses will feature USB charging, improved seating and extra space for wheelchairs and prams.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: "Reaching one million journeys in St Helens shows what happens when you put passengers at the heart of public transport: people use it."
"For far too long, our passengers were expected to put up with a system that put shareholders before the people who actually rely on it. We're turning that on its head. By taking back control, we can put passengers first – with more reliable services, better connections, modern buses and fares that people can afford."
Mr Rotheram also shared his optimism for similar services that will soon start running across the Wirral.
On the new Wirral services, he said: "Now it's Wirral's turn. In just a few weeks, thousands more passengers will start seeing the benefits of public control as we take back control there and take another step towards building the London-style, fully-integrated transport network our region deserves."
The transformation will continue across the Liverpool City Region, with public control expanding to Knowsley, Liverpool and Sefton in 2027.
Wirral passengers are encouraged to check updated route details and timetables on the Merseytravel website or via the Merseytravel Journey Planner app ahead of launch day.
