UK Bus Funding Overhaul Urged in Transport Committee Report, Call for Increased Ambition

In a recent report published on 13 August, the Transport Committee has urged the Government to take action to reform local bus service funding and establish a minimum level of public transport connectivity across the UK.

The report highlights the decline of local bus services, with bus journeys outside of London falling from 4.6 billion in 2009 to 3.6 billion in 2024, a reduction of 21.7%. This decline has left 56% of small towns in a 'transport desert', according to CPRE.

The Government has yet to present a coherent strategy for bus fare caps, and the Department for Transport (DfT) should commit to running socially necessary bus services. The DfT is looking to enable the franchising of services through the Bus (No.2) Services Bill, but franchising is unlikely to be a solution for the entire country due to the lack of skills and capacity in many local councils.

The Health Foundation claims that public funding for bus services has been insufficient for a decade. Despite the decrease in funding, buses remain the most-used public transport method across the UK. The Government's Bus Services Bill contains positive ideas, but more action is needed to increase bus usage.

The report addresses the importance of minimum levels of connectivity, the role of local bus services as a lifeline for young people, the lack of a coherent strategy related to the bus fare cap, and the challenges with franchising. It also calls for the Government to weigh grants toward rural areas and to announce funding for bus services in five-year blocks for greater financial certainty.

The report suggests that the Government should go beyond the ideas in the Bus Services Bill to increase bus usage. The Bus Centre of Excellence should be expanded to provide more targeted support and training. A universal, free bus pass for all under-22s is called for to equalize opportunities.

Data from the Department for Transport shows that public funding for bus services fell for a decade from 2009/2010, a trend halted only by the Covid-19 pandemic seeing a near doubling of funding to keep them in operation. However, in 2023/24, the public subsidy for bus services reverted to levels seen in 2017/18.

The report emphasizes that bus services are fundamental to many people's quality of life, particularly for residents on low incomes, older and younger people, who face social exclusion or being cut off from employment and services if buses are unreliable or non-existent. In many areas, residents are already facing social exclusion or being cut off from employment and services due to unreliable or non-existent buses.

The exact official agency name for the government agency managing the bus fund and providing financial certainty in five-year blocks to ensure minimum public transport connectivity in all councils is not specified in the search results. However, it is suggested that this agency should be established to provide the necessary support for local bus services across the UK.

UK Bus Funding Overhaul Urged in Transport Committee Report, Call for Increased Ambition