The Local Government Association has reported that the number of bus journeys has fallen by 300 million in five years, taking them to their lowest level for a decade. Latest government figures show there were 4.31 billion bus passenger journeys made in England in 2018/19 compared to 4.627 billion in 2014/15 – a drop of 317 million.
At the same time, polling commissioned by the LGA and undertaken by Kantar has found that 69% of residents think local councils should have more of a say on local bus services. The LGA has previously warned that nearly half of all bus routes are at risk, as the funding gap from government for the concessionary bus fare scheme is expected to grow from the estimated £652 million shortfall in 2017/18.
The LGA believes that to ensure bus services are secure, the Government should introduce measures which close the concessionary fares funding gap, and give all councils automatic access to franchising powers and control over the Bus Service Operators’ Grant so that public subsidies can be better targeted.
LGA Transport spokesman Cllr David Renard said: “Councils want to protect local bus services, which are a vital service and can be a lifeline for our most vulnerable residents, whether that is to go shopping, collect medication, attend doctor appointments or socialise with friends. The continuing decline in bus journeys emphasises the need to protect bus services and for councils to be able to invest in funding subsidised routes.
“Not only will this make sure we can provide bus services to those who rely on them, but it can also help to reduce congestion and improve air quality by reducing the number of vehicles on our roads. As our polling also shows, the vast majority of residents want to see councils take control over how bus routes operate in their local area. With proper funding and by giving all councils oversight through automatic franchising powers, councils will be better placed to boost ailing passenger numbers and enable more people to use the bus services they rely on every day.”
Responding to the report, CPT Chief Executive Graham Vidler said: “The number one reason people don’t take the bus is that journey times have become too long and too unpredictable. CPT research shows this has contributed to over 160 million fewer journeys. Speeding up journey times can reverse that decline particularly with one in four people who don’t currently travel by bus saying they’re ready to give bus a try.
“To achieve a more efficient and reliable service we need investment in measures to tackle congestion, which must include prioritising buses in local transport networks as well as targets for local authorities to reduce journey times by bus.
“Bus services with fast and reliable journey times, investment in clean and well-equipped buses and straightforward competitive pricing are goals everyone shares and the industry has set out its ambition to achieve a billion more bus journeys by 2030. This will be best delivered by local authorities and operators working in partnership with shared responsibility for improving services. While funding from local authorities for bus services has fallen by half since 2010, and resulted in routes being withdrawn, this approach is proven to increase passenger numbers and avoids council tax payers taking on the risk and cost of council control.”
