The Campaign for Better Transport’s report on the future of bus funding has been released, which states that annual bus funding is £400m lower than it was a decade ago.
The charity works across England and Wales and aims to shape the future of mobility by collaborating with national and local government, developers, employers, operators, NGOs and communities to make transport better, greener, healthier and more affordable.
The report can be downloaded from this link: bettertransport.org.uk/read-our-report-future-bus-funding
Commenting on the report, Confederation of Passenger Transport Policy Manager Alison Edwards said: “We support the call for dedicated, long-term funding for buses to increase bus use and support the industry’s commitment to only buy ultra-low or zero emission buses from 2025.
“Key to increasing bus use will be measures to tackle congestion, which affects journey times, reliability and frequency of services. Linking funding to targets for local authorities to improve reliability, speed and patronage of bus services would be a welcome step in the right direction.
“Local authorities and operators working together in partnerships have been shown to deliver real improvements in passenger numbers and, with one in four non-bus users prepared to give bus a go if we can provide them with more reliable journeys, there is significant potential for growth.”
Cllr Kim Groves, Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee, commented: “The Prime Minister has said he recognises the importance of buses, but this report by the Campaign for Better Transport showing the dramatic decline in the number of services confirms the need for more government action on the way buses are organised and funded.
“We are committed to economic growth that benefits everyone and we have also signed up to a zero-carbon City Region by 2038 or sooner and buses have a key role to play in achieving both of those objectives.
“Buses are vital to our local economy, doing the real heavy lifting of connecting people with jobs and opportunities, and they also provide people and communities with vital links that help prevent isolation and all the problems that go with it. And, with one double-deck bus being able to replace up to 75 cars, buses also have a key role to play in combating pollution and climate change.”
