A lack of co-ordinated Government policy and squeezed
funding for local authorities is driving bus use into decline,
says the Transport Committee.
Most parts of England saw bus use fall and hundreds of bus
routes have been withdrawn, reports the Committee in a new
Report, Bus Services in England outside
London. Although nearly three in every five journeys by
public transport in Great Britain were by bus in 2017/18 and
buses remain the most popular form of public transport, today’s
Report paints a picture of steady decline amid uncoordinated,
fragmented government policy and squeezed funding for local
authorities.
The Committee urges the Government to set out clear
ambitions for bus use and specific plans for how it will support
local authorities to improve bus services and increase passenger
numbers. A single bus strategy, as for rail and road investment,
would give a focus to funding, planning and work to improve air
quality.
Funding for buses mainly comes through passengers but the
Government, through a variety of mechanisms, provides more than
40 percent of bus funding. The Government has long term plans in
place for road and rail investment but funding of bus services is
uncertain and requires reform. Given the scale of investment from
passengers and taxpayers, the Committee calls for a fairer deal
for the bus user, demonstrating value for money and reflecting
passengers’ needs.
The Chair of the Transport Committee, MP, said:
“More than three thousand bus routes in England have been
reduced, altered or withdrawn since 2010/11. The numbers using
bus services are falling. This has direct consequences on
people’s lives, impacting on journeys to work, education and
social events. It narrows our transport options and pushes us
towards less environmentally-friendly choices. And yet, our
inquiry found no real evidence that the Government was determined
to take action to stop this.
“Transport groups told us that passengers want simple and
accurate information on ticketing and fares and reliable services
that turn up on time and get you where you need to go. We heard a
real desire to reduce congestion and to improve air quality.
Local authorities and bus operators want to work together,
whether to understand local traffic to better use bus priority
measures, enforce moving traffic violations or plan for new
housing developments.
“The Government has strategies on rail investment and road
development; it is now time to bring forward a strategy for bus
services outside London. Core to the strategy should be the
desire to make bus services more passenger focused and provide
value for money, helping to bring more people, especially young
people, onboard. This will also bring benefits for air quality,
cutting carbon emissions and reducing congestion.
“The Department for Transport has a key role in supporting
local authorities and bus operators but it needs to ensure its
efforts are pulled together under a single strategy which sets
out its ambition for bus services, still England’s most popular
form of transport. Concessionary fares are obviously important in
making public transport affordable and our Committee hopes to
assist by exploring this area in more detail later this
year.”
The Committee calls on Government to bring forward a
national bus strategy by the end of 2020. This should:
• Set out plans for making the full suite of operating
models, including franchising and the ability to create new
municipal bus companies, available equally to all local
authorities with guidance on each;
• Describe a more stable multi-year funding model for local
transport, including bus services, with clear strategy and
details of bid-for funding;
• Assess the evidence for the effectiveness of bus priority
measures and provide information on good practice;
• Set and track targets for modal shift and provide a
framework to provide guidance for local authorities to encourage
people to get out of their cars and onto buses.
