‘Historic low’ for rural buses

A report from the County Councils Network (CCN) said rural bus services are at a ‘historic low’.

CCN engaged public transport consultancy group SYSTRA in 2023 to undertake a review of English bus services and the impact of recent policy developments. The research, entitled ‘The State of County Buses: Recovering Services Post-Pandemic’, said the government’s National Bus Strategy is doing little to address issues surrounding declining bus services. It says more than one in four bus routes in county and rural areas have vanished over the last decade with passenger numbers dropping to a ‘historic low’. It highlights that two-thirds of the government’s £1.1bn to address the decline in buses went to urban areas.

With the report highlighting that county areas – particularly those who missed out on the first round of BSIP funding – only received a fraction of what they need to deliver their ambitious bus service transformation plans, it recommends that the government launches a further round of BSIP funding and allocates money on par with the level of ambition from councils.

With the report highlighting that county areas only received a fraction of what they need to deliver their ambitious bus service transformation plans, CCN recommends that the government launches a further round of BSIP funding and allocates money on par with the level of ambition from councils. It says that any future funding should set out clear criteria on how allocations are decided. It also calls for a ‘County Bus Strategy’ to address the specific issues in those places, as well as a direct revenue stream for buses, and the permanent introduction of £2 fares.