The government will consider statutorily requiring socially and economically necessary bus services in England outside London if “more comprehensive” such provision is not achieved between operators and local authorities (LAs) through Bus Service Improvement Plan work.
Its position is outlined in a response to the Implementation of the National Bus Strategy report. That report was published by the Transport Committee on 30 March and the government’s response came in June.
Long-term funding drew much of the Committee’s attention, but among other items highlighted was the mention of socially or economically necessary services in the National Bus Strategy upon its publication in 2021. That included a commitment to provide new guidance to LAs on those services, and what the Committee says was a suggestion that the government “would consider introducing a statutory requirement” for their provision.
“Two years on, none of those things have happened and the long-term security of many bus routes that are vital for communities remains uncertain,” the Committee scolded in its report. The government has now partially accepted the Committee’s recommendation to put promises into action, and it says that the guidance on socially and economically necessary bus services will be published this parliament.
Only if that does not lead to better provision of those journeys in time will consideration be given to introducing a statutory requirement, “including those which improve people’s access to employment,” the response notes.
On alternative methods of bus service delivery, revised franchising guidance will be published as soon as possible. It will provide more detailed advice on producing a franchising business case and using franchising powers to deliver “favourable outcomes.”
Also coming during the current parliament will be a call for evidence that serves as the first part of a review into whether it is correct that LAs in England cannot establish new municipally-owned bus operations.
On BSOG, a long-promised but as yet undelivered consultation on its reform will come before the end of 2023.
The stated intent is to “modernise and futureproof” the grant. Little concrete is given away in the government response, but the consultation will include proposed changes on the metric used to calculate BSOG payments, it states.
The government response also notes that mechanisms to explore how BSOG could support zero-emission bus uptake will be within the consultation. A 22p per kilometre incentive is already paid for those vehicles, but ‘new’ BSOG may include a separate rate for zero-emission. When these points are considered, there is a hint that the volume of fuel used will no longer form part of the calculation formula.
Transport Committee Chair Iain Stewart MP has largely welcomed the government’s response to the Committee report, although he has urged the provision of funding beyond the current end of BSOG Plus and BSIP Plus money in 2025.
Read the Transport Committee’s report here, and the government’s response to it here.
