The need for a five-year funding settlement approach for bus services has once more been highlighted by the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) in responding to a Transport Committee inquiry into buses connecting rural communities.
CPT has previously called for that five-year direction for bus service funding, saying it would “unlock the full potential of England’s bus services.” The Confederation adds that every £1 spent on those generates £4.55 in benefits to the environment, public health, and the economy.
Current funding models and governance structures outside major metropolitan areas “are inadequate,” it believes. Taking a long-term approach “would allow for reforms to improve sustainability, accessibility, and affordability.”
Director of Policy and External Affairs Alison Edwards says that government funding for bus services “is essential” to ensure that they remain “a lifeline for communities, particularly in rural areas, and to deliver on key priorities such as economic growth, breaking down barriers to opportunity, and achieving net-zero carbon goals.”
CPT’s response to the inquiry also seeks streamlining mechanisms and expansion of public-private partnerships “to deliver efficient and reliable bus services tailored to the needs of different regions.”
Prioritising buses on road networks in urban areas to improve speeds and service reliability along with a need for investment in rural provision and adequate funding via the upcoming spending review also form part of the CPT response.
In addition to a five-year bus funding settlement, CPT says that the government should allocate sufficient money to support service improvements and include mechanisms to protect against raising operational costs.
It notes that any reform “must ensure that no area goes backwards in terms of funding and service levels, if it is to safeguard access to vital transport for all communities.” The trade body will make a submission to the spending review with more detail on quantum and what different options can deliver.
While devolution of bus funding can enhance efficiency and responsiveness, that approach should not be taken where local authorities that lack the “capacity, capability and proven track record” to effectively control its use and drive positive outcomes for passengers, CPT says.
Read CPT’s submission in full here.
