Funding for supported buses almost halved
FUNDING for supported buses has almost halved in the last eight years leaving many areas without public transport, according to a new study.
Local authority bus budgets in England and Wales were slashed by £20.5million last year - the eighth consecutive annual cut, Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) research found.
Since 2010/11, supported bus budgets have decreased by £182 million, representing a reduction of 45 per cent, the Buses in Crisis report states.
Some 199 bus routes were altered or withdrawn last year.
CBT public transport campaigner Steve Chambers said: “Our latest report confirms that the slow death of the supported bus continues, with local authority bus budgets suffering another cut this year.
“The resulting cuts to services mean many people no longer have access to public transport, with rural areas hit especially hard.”
The loss of a bus service can have “huge implications” such as preventing people accessing jobs and education, increasing congestion due to a reliance on cars and affecting people’s physical and mental health by making it harder for them to leave the home, researchers warned. TWO students have issued a passionate plea in person to Channel 4 bosses calling on them to move their headquarters to Coventry.
Coventry University media production students Tara Rutledge and Zynab Sadik spoke of the area’s diversity, its enthusiastic young population and the further opportunities the move would bring to the region.
They also told Channel 4 executives about the university ‘s talented media students and staff and the excellent facilities on campus - and explained how that could benefit the station.
Tara and Zynab were among industry professionals and students from across the West Midlands who gathered in Birmingham on Wednesday for a networking event as part of the region’s pitch to Channel 4 bosses to bring the broadcaster’s new ‘national headquarters’ to the region.
The West Midlands is one of seven locations on the channel’s shortlist, which also includes Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Greater Manchester, Leeds and Liverpool.
Coventry is one of two potential sites included in the West Midlands bid, along with Birmingham.
The students were nominated to represent the university by their lecturer Sanna Wicks, and were given a chance to meet and speak to Channel 4 executives, as well as network with other media professionals from the region.
Tara is 42 and lives in Coundon . She starts the final year of her media production course next year, and said: “I’m really passionate about wanting Channel 4 to come to Coventry. It would be massive for the city.
“Since winning UK City of Culture 2021, there has been a fantastic buzz here. I’ve really noticed how the city has changed. There seems to be great, new events happening here every week. People want to come to Coventry now.