We've seen a similar picture of declining funding, service cuts and rising fares for several years now, which is why we've led calls for a National Bus Strategy to focus attention on our most-used form of public transport. Now the Government has listened: it has promised a National Bus Strategy to be published in the spring.
Our report shows how the Strategy should change the way buses are funded. We want to see:
- A single, ring-fenced, long-term fund aimed at rejuvenating England's bus networks and supporting concessionary fares
- Support to transform the UK’s bus fleet to run on electricity and hydrogen, cleaning up our polluted air
- New funding sources to improve buses, like Workplace Parking Levies and a pay-as-you-drive road user charge (to replace VED and fuel duty)
These are just a few of the recommendations outlined in our report, which also contains details of how much each English local authority spends on buses - so you can see how your area measures up. The cuts are deeply concerning, but with the right interventions at this crucial time they need not continue: instead bus networks can grow and improve, reconnect communities and clean up our polluted air.
Best wishes
Darren
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