What can we do about our local bus services?

“For many of us, the bus is like the local pub – good to know it’s there, but we are unlikely to use it.  A  recent report from the Campaign for Better Transport has established that over 3,500 local bus routes have been lost or subject to reduced services over the past 10 years.  Many of these routes and services have been in rural areas, notably Derbyshire and Northamptonshire.  In contrast, the number of local bus passengers using buses in London has consistently increased.  Quite a contrast to everywhere else, including ‘Up North’.

The loss of services and reduced services especially during off-peak times has invariably come about through cuts in services that are classed as ‘non-commercial’ by the bus operators.  These services rely on central and local government support in the form of subsidies.  Without subsidy, these services would not be seen as viable by their private sector suppliers.  The bottom line is that over the past decade there have been cuts of £234m in central government and £163m in local government support.  These cuts are brutal and have to be the main reason for the loss of services.

Those of us who are car owners and only irregular bus users, fail to appreciate how important local bus services are for those in the community who have no other means of transport.  Many of these people are women, but it also includes those who are too young, too old or too poor to own a car.  And those who do not want to own a car.  The bus is their lifeline for work and other activities such as shopping or visiting the doctor.  When this lifeline is damaged, their quality of life takes a knock and in some cases means they have to move.

Many so-called experts, me included, believe that Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s privatisation and deregulation of the market 33 years ago is to blame.  It is, but only to a certain extent.  What has happened over the past decade was already occurring.

So what can be done?  The government has recently announced an additional £220m to deliver a so-called ‘bus revolution’.  Not sure what this means although the official take is ‘to boost services and make journeys greener, easier and more reliable’.  And all for what Spurs have recently valued Harry Kane!

I have often been asked by my students what I would do.  Well, I would do a ‘Luxembourg’ and make local bus travel (and tram travel in Luxembourg’s case) free of charge for everyone at any time.  It will cost a lot to fund it and require the support of the likes of First Group, Arriva and Stagecoach.  But what it will do is give us a more sustainable policy to help tackle climate change as well as enhancing the well-being of those groups in the community who are currently suffering from the loss of their local bus service.”