The County Councils Network (CCN) has written to Buses Minister Andrew Jones urging him to make bus franchising powers available to county authorities to prevent rural areas from being ‘left behind’ in public transport reforms.
CCN said it believes the Bus Services Bill has the power to reform public transport, particularly in rural areas, but they have been marred by declining usage due to funding cuts.
While some CCN members have chosen to select a mayor, many believe county areas are too large, complex, and different to cities to be governed this way.
The CCN cited research from the Campaign for Better Transport which suggested that some shire counties have been forced to cut back over half their public transport budgets, with subsidies reducing by £78m since 2010, leading to a decline in bus usage in every part of the country except London. It said with increased powers, this decline could be halted.
Cllr Anne Western, CCN Economic Growth Spokeswoman, said: “There is a lot to be welcomed in the Bus Services Bill, which has the power to reform public transport in both rural and urban areas. Like we have seen it London, it has the potential to halt the decline in bus usage and create sustainable routes that give passengers a better experience.
“Due to austerity, cutbacks to bus services have had an impact on isolated communities that truly do see public transport as a lifeline.
“That’s why it is crucial for the Government to pass on franchising powers to all councils, not simply areas that have chosen to be governed by a mayor. Rural communities arguably need sustainable bus services more than their urban counterparts, yet this policy favours the city, not the shire.
“We want to work with Government to design a Bill that both sustains and improves bus networks, but also ensures that counties are empowered to redesign services, otherwise a golden opportunity to put public transport back on an upward trajectory will be missed.”