Funding must not be a lottery, says CPT

Funding for bus services should not be a postcode lottery based on the cancelled HS2 route, says the CPT, responding to news of how the £4.7 billion Local Transport Fund, announced in October, will be allocated across the North and Midlands (see pages 8 and 9), CPT CEO Graham Vidler said: “Clarity over the allocation of funding announced for local transport in October last year will be welcome for councils in the North and Midlands. We urge them to recognise the value of buses to their economies and communities when making investment decisions. Councils in the south of England now also need the same level of long-term investment in local transport, in particular in buses which are the UK’s most popular, affordable and accessible form of public transport. Frequent, fast, reliable buses are required by all people across the country to get to work, school, and to access essential services. This should not be a postcode lottery based on the cancelled HS2 route.”