Half of bus routes face axe – because of boom in free passes

TOWN halls have warned half of bus services could be scrapped because of a £650million black hole in the budget for free bus passes.

Millions of pensioners will have a pass ‘but no bus to travel on’ unless the Government provides more cash, according to a damning report published today.

The Local Government Association said cutting thousands of local bus services would leave vulnerable residents ‘isolated and unsupported’, particularly in rural areas.

Councils have a statutory duty to provide free bus passes for older and disabled people. More than nine million currently have them in England.

Last year the Government promised it would offer them for the ‘ foreseeable’ future, but there are growing concerns they have become unaffordable.

According to the LGA report, funding for ‘concessionary travel’ from central government has halved since the start of the decade from £1.07billion to £507million. This has caused the funding gap, which must be filled by councils, to soar five-fold from £122million to £652million.

The budget cuts and a fall in bus journeys mean they are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain unprofitable local bus routes.

Around 12,700 routes, or just under half of those in England, are either fully or partially subsidised.

Centralised funding for these has also fallen by a third from £371million in 2010/ 11 to £ 248million in 2017/ 18 – putting increased pressure on councils.

More than 3,000 supported bus services have been reduced, changed or scrapped because of budget cuts over the past decade.

But as councils face an overall budget shortfall of £3.1billion, the LGA warned all subsided bus routes are under threat unless central government steps in.

Martin Tett, of the LGA, said: ‘Properly funding the national free bus pass scheme is essential if the Government wants councils to be able to maintain our essential bus services, reduce congestion and protect vital routes.

‘If this is not addressed… it could lead to older people having a free bus pass but no bus to travel on.’

Darren Shirley, of the Campaign for Better Transport, said: ‘What we need is a national bus strategy, backed by central government funding. Rail and roads, cycling and walking – all of these already have a national strategy. Why should buses be the poor relation?’

A Department for Transport spokesman said: ‘It is for councils to decide which bus operations to support in their areas, but we help to subsidise costs through around £250million-worth of investment every year.’