Conservative-led Ipswich Borough Council is in talks with the leading bus company, Go-Ahead, to improve Ipswich Buses.

The involvement of Go-Ahead which has a policy of local management and local identity for its bus routes would bring greater commercial expertise and buying power to Ipswich Buses. Go-Ahead has run successful operations including in Oxford and Brighton with very similar bus markets to Ipswich.

Ipswich Buses is one of only eleven Council owned bus services and this number is rapidly falling. The Go-Ahead proposal should preserve council influence over the bus service, as well as ensuring routes and employment that would be at risk for a standalone operator.

John Carnall, deputy leader of the Council said, “No decision has yet been taken on this matter but we must follow up this opportunity to see whether it will improve bus services for local people and keep fares as low as possible. “

“We’re really not sure what Labour’s issue is. One minute, in the form of the government they are encouraging us to sell assets. The next minute Alistair Ross in his blog says they are totally opposed to any sell off and finally their leader David Ellesmere says in the Evening Star that it’s just the wrong time. I know they are facing a dreadful defeat and they are at their wits' end, but at least they could get their story straight. It’s this sort of headless chicken impression that shows how they got us in such a mess with the economy, the hospital and just about everything else.”

4th January 2010