The report, Reversing the Decline of County Buses, features analysis that shows local bus services in county areas face a funding gap of £348m, resulting in the annual number of bus journeys declining by 97 million in 2019 compared to a decade before.

Based on a consultation, which CIHT also responded to, the report features many examples of good work that councils are undertaking to support local bus routes. The report calls for government’s £4bn National Bus Strategy to reverse the decline in financial support for county buses and provide further long-term investment, alongside the further devolution of power and funding that would give councils greater control over bus services.

You can download the full report here.

The number of passenger journeys in counties dropped by 12.1% from 2009 to 2019, double the England average of 6.4%. In 2019, just 16% of England’s entire bus journeys were in counties – despite the 36 areas containing half of the country’s population, with the number of passenger journeys in counties nearly three times lower per person compared to the national average.

CIHT are currently working on a response to the Department for Transport's Future of Transport - Rural Strategy and are seeking members views to that via CIHT Connect. Take part in that conversation here.

The report highlights fears that unless the situation is reversed, the already smaller number of county bus routes will cease further in the coming decade, leaving more people reliant on their own transport. In rural and remote areas bus services are a lifeline for residents, particularly the elderly and disadvantaged and argue that a decent transport network is necessary for education and employment, with eight of the ten least socially mobile areas in England located in counties.

The report also recommends that bus operators should be statutory consultees during the local plan process to ensure that bus provision to and from new development is considered as early as possible. This will assist local authorities in any negotiations for legal agreements and contributions when sites come forward. This will also provide opportunities for building active travel into masterplans that integrate with public transport for longer journeys.