A report by sustainable transport charity Campaign for Better
Transport has highlighted how the Government can help local
authorities provide better bus services.
The National Bus Strategy:
Capacity and Capability report, commissioned by the
Department for Transport and written by Campaign for Better
Transport, looked at what barriers local transport authorities
(LTAs) face in delivering the better local bus services outlined
in the Government’s National Strategy for Buses.
It found that constraints in capacity and capabilities, together
with a number of institutional and structural barriers, had the
potential to lead to a significant gap between the expectations
of the Strategy and what LTAs could deliver on the ground.
To address this gap, Campaign for Better Transport recommended
the Government provide immediate targeted support for LTAs, with
more longer-term support available through the newly established
Bus Centre of Excellence. The recommendations have already been
used by the Department for Transport to share funding allocations
and the support on offer.
Silviya Barrett, from charity Campaign for Better Transport,
said: “We are extremely pleased that this report is now available
and even more pleased that the Government has not only recognised
many of its findings, but already started to implement some,
including launching the Bus Centre of Excellence.
“The competitive nature of bus funding was one of the main
concerns highlighted by local authorities and this is something
that still needs to be addressed. A single long-term funding pot
for all local authorities would go a long way to helping deliver
good, affordable and reliable local bus services across the
country.”
The Government’s National Strategy for Buses, Bus Back
Better, was published in March 2021 following a long
campaign led by Campaign for Better Transport for a dedicated bus
strategy. Having been instrumental in the Strategy’s inception,
the transport charity was pleased to be commissioned by the
Department of Transport to carry out research into local
authorities’ capacity and capability to deliver its priorities.
Having discovered a number of barriers faced by different types
of LTAs, Campaign for Better Transport’s report recommended that
the Government provide targeted support to help LTAs meet the
immediate requirements of the Strategy and made a number of
suggestions on how best the Bus Centre of Excellence can support
their longer-term needs.
Mrs Barrett added: “As a member of the stakeholder group, we are
working closely with the Bus Centre of Excellence to help deliver
the support local authorities need to improve bus services. We
also work directly with local authorities to help them implement
their transport improvement plans and would encourage any local
authority which could do with our help to get in touch.”
For more information visit www.bettertransport.org.uk/about/projects-partnerships
ENDS
Read National Bus
Strategy: Capacity and Capability
in full.
