Residents have voiced their views on Brighton and Hove City Council’s intention to oversee the city’s bus network.

The Labour-controlled authority revealed plans to seek central government money for a study examining whether to franchise bus services, which would grant the council significantly more authority regarding routes, schedules and ticket prices.

However, the managing director of Brighton and Hove Buses expressed the view that collaborating with the operator remains the optimal approach for delivering additional advantages to the local community.

The plans divided those who responded. Several argued the council ought to focus on alternative concerns and praised the bus company’s operations as outstanding. Others expressed support for returning services to public control.

Jamie Guest said the concept was sound and suggested extending nationalisation to the railways.

Chrissie Lambeth expressed the view that authorities should leave the service untouched, describing it as one of the finest operators nationwide. She noted that while fares might be lower elsewhere, services were far less regular and covered fewer destinations. She accused the council of hypocrisy for rendering roads inaccessible to vehicles before expecting the bus company to solve transport problems. She added that management could improve only by treating employees more fairly and providing greater job security for drivers, observing that a blame-oriented culture left staff constantly worried about dismissal.

Kevin Jewell suggested the council should resolve its own internal problems before taking on additional responsibilities.

Shona Victoria Stokes-Jennings did not believe the proposal was advisable, considering Brighton and Hove Buses in her view provided an excellent service. She suggested comparing the city’s provision to other towns, noting that Norwich appeared to be the only comparable location and that both were under the Go-Ahead group umbrella, which also manages Brighton and Hove Buses. She recalled the era of South Down buses and the council’s blue vehicles operating from Lewis Road depot, urging people to appreciate the excellent provision already in place. She pointed out that most other towns lacked services after six in the evening, citing Wigan as an illustration of poor provision and elevated fares.

Ann Richardson observed that Brighton and Hove already enjoys a decent bus service and that holidaymakers frequently remark on how fortunate residents are, questioning why modification was necessary. She suggested concentrating instead on road improvements and street cleanliness to make the area more appealing to residents and particularly to visitors.

Neil Packham questioned why the council could not first ensure roads were safe for motoring, guarantee punctual waste collection to prevent overflowing bins, and maintain roadside verges and green spaces before contemplating operating additional services.