Responding to Transport Secretary Louise Haigh's 11 July visit to
Manchester to kickstart a 'bus revolution', Graham Vidler, CEO at
the Confederation of Passenger Transport said today,
“The industry stands fully behind the objectives of growing the
nation's vital bus network and improving passengers' experiences.
“Change will require stable and adequate long term funding and a
toolbox of options for local leaders and bus operators to choose
from to find the approach which will best suit their local
community. Immediate action must 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.
“We look forward to working hand in hand with the government to
deliver change which benefits passengers across the whole
country, prioritises buses in order to curb congestion and air
pollution, and drives swifter progress towards the UK's climate
targets.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
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. For more data on
the value of bus see CPT's
website.
Recent 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 recently published 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.
Driving Britain
Forward CPT's manifesto for bus set out six key
priorities for the new government. In this CPT calls for a
five-year spending plan for bus, as happens in rail, to provide
confidence and maximise the value of all investment in the
sector. Consolidated, consistent long term funding streams will
be key for securing full decarbonisation of the bus sector
fleet. The current 21-month funding settlement for bus
services ends in April 2025. A lack of clarity over future
funding undermines confidence and prevents operators and local
transport authorities (LTAs) pursuing longer-term service
developments.
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.
Earlier this year CPT commissioned research to inform discussion
about options for maintaining low fares over the long
term. Alternatives to the
national fare cap – how can the next government make bus travel
more affordable for more people presents the findings of
that study which examined the pros and cons of various forms of
support including a continued fare cap.
In April CPT welcomed DfT (Department for Transport) proposals to
speed up training for bus and coach drivers and to lower the
minimum age for them to drive longer journeys. To help address
ongoing driver shortages (4.2% in the bus sector) the government
should bring these changed forward promptly.
