Cars are clogging up National Parks because of cuts to bus services, say campaigners

ENGLAND’S National Parks are suffering traffic congestion because of “severe” cuts to rural bus services, campaigners will warn next week.

The Campaign for National Parks is to say in a report published on Monday that more than nine out 10 families have to travel to the parks by car because of poor bus services. In Exmoor National Park, for example, a return journey between Exeter and Dulverton, a distance of 29 miles, costs £22 and two changes of bus each way. This meant that “unsurprisingly” 96 per cent of visitors to Exmoor arrive by car, the report said.

A journey from Leeds to the National Park Visitor Centre at Hawes, in the Yorkshire Dales, takes around four or five hours by bus. The report also highlights that bus and rail services often do not run frequently enough, if at all, on Sundays and bank holidays.

In the Lake District, business groups have said that “congestion is particularly acute”, adding that “visitors regularly complain about traffic jams spoiling their enjoyment of this unique landscape and its cultural attractions”.

Ruth Bradshaw, the campaign’s policy and research manager, and author of the report, said: “In some places, high volumes of traffic can have a negative impact on the landscapes and wildlife, the very things that attract people to the parks in the first place.

“But, unfortunately, severe cuts to rural bus services in recent years have made it increasingly difficult to reach many parts of the parks without a car.”

The report calls for more funding for public transport and recommends that National Park Authorities should take a strategic lead on improving access.

Other ideas include a “smarter travel National Park” pilot scheme to explore the potential for technological solutions such as integrated ticketing, ebikes and app-based services.

Paul Hamblin, executive director of National Parks England, said: “We will study the report carefully and are committed to working with government, local authorities, companies and others whose investment decisions can make a real difference.”

A Department for Transport spokesman said: “Long-term social and economic factors are affecting levels of bus usage but it is for local authorities to decide which bus operations to support in their areas. We provide around £250 million to support bus services every year.”