The government wants bus operators in England to deliver investment in the industry “in a responsible way for a long time to come,” Under-Secretary of State for Transport Baroness Vere told them in a letter sent on 19 August.
The message primarily confirms the allocation of a further £130m to the Bus Recovery Grant mechanism under an extension to 31 March 2023. In it, Lady Vere claims that the government is committed to continuing its support for the bus industry and implementing ambitions laid out in the National Bus Strategy (NBS), despite fewer than half of Bus Service Improvement Plans having been awarded funding.
The call for investment from the government is further clouded by criticisms of the ongoing BRG scheme that have labelled it as being substantially less than what is required to maintain current networks. Multiple operators in England have already registered major timetable curtailments, or withdrawals, for some services to commence during September, although some others are increasing provision.
Lady Vere adds that while financially sustainable bus networks are important and recovery funding “cannot continue indefinitely,” the government hopes that operators will instead see the ongoing support as an opportunity to build on.
Such long-term investment by businesses in the bus industry should not only consider financial incentives that are available, but also prioritise “our social responsibility to ensuring that local communities can stay connected at a time when affordable, reliable and high-quality public transport is more important than ever,” Lady Vere continues.
The letter concludes by advising operators that the government looks forward “to engaging and working with you all in the coming months as we take forward our vision for bus services in this country.”
That prediction comes at a time when suggestions have been aired that the Department for Transport (DfT) plans to update the NBS. When questioned, DfT said that it “cannot comment on speculation” but advised that “there are no updates currently in the works.”
