Trentbarton Managing Director Tom Morgan has expressed concern over the impact of short-term funding settlements from the Department for Transport (DfT) on the bus industry and its customers, calling for long-term clarity on the funding landscape.
Emphasising the need for clear communication and support from the government to bolster the bus industry’s image and consumer confidence, he explains that the ongoing short-term funding cycles are detrimental to business planning and communication within teams.
The latter is a major challenge for the industry, he adds, citing “continual negative messages” perpetuated by the funding cycles, and a threat of service cuts that could potentially push consumers towards alternatives.
The Trentbarton chief calls for a long-term vision and a deal, stressing that his company is not primarily concerned with provision of funding, but of certainty.
“I recognise that the government is looking to deliver a longer term settlement, but even if the view from the minister is that we have recovered as much as we are going to, and that it is time to stand on our own two feet and adjust our business to a position where it is commercial, that’s absolutely fine,” he says. “We will adapt the business. But what we need is certainty on which to base those decisions.”
Mr Morgan highlights the background of other challenges which have knocked consumer confidence. They include the combination of COVID-19 safety concerns, driver shortages, and the threat to rural services.
“Confidence has been struggling, and every time we reach this three-month period of end of funding, there is then more negativity in the national press about bus services likely to be cut, even if it doesn’t impact our particular customers’ area,” he says. “I worry that by the short-term mechanisms, reoccurring messages will seep in, and people will make alternative choices, such as using the car.”
Mr Morgan praises efforts by the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) in keeping operators engaged and lobbying DfT to help it understand the importance of future funding. He also expresses confidence in his team’s ability to adapt to whatever decision is eventually made, citing the agility of the bus industry compared to rail.
