NAO report on bus services: LGA statement

Responding to a National Audit Office report on local bus services in England, which says passengers have seen services reduce and the commercial viability of the sector weakened, Cllr Adam Hug, transport spokesperson for the Local Government Association, said:

“Bus services provide the essential mode of public transport in local communities, relied upon by millions of people.

“As this report shows, a lack of resources for councils and funding for bus services has been holding back the improvements to the road network and bus services set out in Bus Service Improvement Plans, which will help undo the impact of Covid on passenger numbers and restore the benefits that better buses provide.

“The Government's plans for extra support for councils who want to take up franchising and a long-term funding commitment as set out in the Spending Review will help bus recovery, but this should go further to seize the full benefits of better quality buses for communities.”