PM’s £3bn ‘won’t fix transport chaos’

Bus service in the Yorkshire Dales

BORIS Johnson today unveils a “£3billion revolution” to “level up” Britain’s buses.

The aim is to make buses more frequent, cheaper and greener.

To access the cash, firms must enter “enhanced partnerships” with councils or new franchising deals.

Fares will have to be capped at a daily limit, more weekend services will be required and all buses must accept contactless payments. Also 4,000 electric or hydrogen buses are promised for zero-emission travel.

PM Johnson insisted: “Better buses will be one of our first acts of levelling-up. Our reforms will make buses the transport of choice, improving life for millions.

“The fragmented, fully-commercialised market operated outside London since 1986 will end.”

However Tom Fyans, of countryside charity CPRE, said: “A one-off £3billion is just an expensive sticking plaster after a decade of cuts to rural services. Towns and villages need long-term funding to deliver a comprehensive network.”

Pascale Robinson of campaign group We Own It was also disappointed.

She welcomed the funding but warned it “won’t go anywhere near far enough to deliver improvements our ailing network desperately needs.”

She added: “The Government appears to be steering councils towards a partnership with private companies, which is incredibly costly and leaves the companies in the driving seat and still deregulated.

“The Government needs to reverse the ban on publicly owned bus companies, so councils can run services. Then we’ll get a network run for passengers, not profit.”

Sam Tarry, Labour’s Shadow Transport Minister, said the plan falls far short: “This offers nothing for those looking for a bold vision to reverse the millions of miles of bus routes lost. Passengers now face a toxic mix of rising fares, cuts and reduced access.”

One fear is less popular routes could be scrapped.

The Department for Transport will announce today who will receive £20million of funding to pay for trials of “on demand” minibuses, to replace underused services.

The ban on publicly owned bus companies needs to be scrapped

PASCALE ROBINSON OF THE WE OWN IT CAMPAIGN