Campaigners call for more spending on bus services

Transport campaigners say bus passengers are being left behind by the Government

The Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) say Government support for bus services is £234m a year lower than in 2009/10 – and local authority funding has dropped by £163m a year.

More than 3,000 councilsupported bus services have been lost or reduced in the past decade, the research found.

The charity is calling for the creation of a single, ringfenced, long-term fund to rejuvenate England's bus network.

It also urged the Government to provide money to accelerate the transition to zero-emission buses and set a 2025 deadline for all new buses to be only electric or hydrogen-powered.

The Department for Transport confirmed last month that it will publish a

National Bus Strategy including a review of bus funding.

CBT chief executive Darren Shirley said: "Reductions in funding to support bus services has consequences. It leads to isolation and social exclusion and hinders access to employment, education and training as people find it more difficult and costly to travel.

"It also hampers efforts to tackle air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and road congestion.

"The National Bus Strategy offers a chance to turn around the fortunes of many communities that rely on the bus. The Government must put in place a new funding settlement that supports and grows bus networks and delivers social as well as economic and environmental benefits.

"We want to see a thriving, affordable network of buses serving all communities."