September 23 2024
Graham Vidler, CEO at the Confederation of Passenger Transport said,
“It’s great to have a Transport Secretary who cares about buses and can recall when bus fares were just tuppence in Sheffield. But passengers today are waiting for clarity over the future of the £2 fare cap. An Immediate decision is needed to prevent a cliff edge return to fully commercial fares when the £2 fare cap ends in December – a scenario that would harm passengers and services.
“Passengers also want to hear how far this Government is prepared to sustain and prioritise the type of investment in bus services which is currently improving passenger experience across the country. Better bus services will only arrive when stable and adequate long-term funding and a toolbox of options permit local leaders and bus operators to choose an approach that will best suit their local community.”
ENDS
Notes for editor
Research published recently by CPT has underscored the importance of delivering the right bus networks: The Economic Impacts of Local Bus Services shows 10% of all high street spending comes from bus passengers, while every pound invested in bus delivers over four times that in economic benefits.
In June this year polling by You Gov for CPT showed that spending is way below what many voters clearly think it should be: four in ten voters want investment in bus services to be made a top priority for transport spending by the new government. People also want to see more frequent buses, fares kept low, and more new routes. What is more, these three priorities matter significantly more than changing who runs the buses, and if services improve many people will use the bus more often – a shift that will reduce road congestion and cut air pollution.
CPT and its members will work with local leaders whatever the regulatory model. Many local leaders – such as those in Leicester, Portsmouth, and Norfolk - are already shaping the delivery of better bus services by working closely with commercial bus operators through the contractual arrangements available under Enhanced Partnerships.
Labour’s plan for rail services includes a commitment to introduce modal shift targets (a change from one form of transportation to another, in this case away from private car usage and towards the greater use of all public transport modes). CPT is looking to the new government to help its members deliver their part of this transition.
Buses play a pivotal role in keeping the UK economy moving and our communities connected. They are the nation’s most affordable, accessible, and popular form of public transport - carrying over 10.2 million passengers every day and making up more than half (60%) of all public transport journeys. Some bus services cannot be run on a commercial basis, so CPT believes the new Government must fund councils to support essential lifeline services - over half (56%) of which have been lost since 2009/10 due to cuts in local government funding.