Action must be taken to reverse a decline in local authority funding for bus services or some rural and suburban areas risk becoming ‘transport deserts’ according to campaigners.

 

The Campaign for Better Transport has this week called on the Government to protect local buses after research showed that close to £30M has been cut from council funding for services in the last year.

 

The group’s new report ‘Buses in Crisis’ highlights that two thirds of local authorities have reduced their spend on supported bus provision this year and 10 English and Welsh councils had no supported services as of 2016/17.

 

This means that since 2010 some 2900 bus services have suffered cut backs and withdrawals, resulting in disruption for communities. “These come on the top of cuts to school transport and the underfunding of free pensioner travel,” said Campaign for Better Transport public transport campaigner Lianna Etkind.

 

“Together these threaten the viability of whole bus networks and will lead to ‘transport deserts’ in some rural and suburban areas where there is no public transport at all.

 

“This decline is not inevitable though,” she added. The group expressed hope that the Bus Services Bill currently going through Parliament would help authorities to better plan and set standards for their bus networks.

 

“We urge the Government to ensure that all local authorities have the full range of powers at their disposal; and to put in place a plan to ensure buses have the funding they need,” added Lianna Etkind.

 

Responding to the report the Local Government Association’s transport spokesman Martin Tett said: “Councils know how important buses are for their communities and local economies and are desperate to protect them. However councils suffered a 40% reduction in core funding over the previous Parliament and are continuing to experience funding pressures.

 

“We have long called for more freedom to improve services and it is vital that, with the Bus Services Bill currently going through Parliament, Government recognises this.”

 

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Buses are vital for local communities, connecting people, homes and businesses, and we are giving councils extra powers to work in partnership with bus companies to improve the service passengers expect and deserve.

 

“While decisions on funding for services are a matter for local authorities, we provide around £250M to support bus services every year, benefiting people up and down the country.”

 

(Photo: Richard Vince and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence)