Bus services in a 'cycle of decline' after years of failure, watchdog warns

Attempts to improve bus services and attract more passengers have been met by a catalogue of failures, a damning report found.

Service levels are worse and the number of users lower than they were before Covid, the National Audit Office (NAO) said. In a report published today the watchdog said rural and suburban services are in a "cycle of decline" with routes being cut.

The majority are run by private firms which set routes and timetables aiming to make a profit. But rising costs and decreasing commerical viability have seen revenues plummet.

A new Bus Services Bill, which is working its way through Parliament, will give councils more power to run their own services. But the NAO warned the Department for Transport (DfT) legislation could be "difficult and expensive".

Watchdog chief Gareth Davies said: "Bus travel should be an easy and reliable transport choice but governments' attempts to improve services have not always worked.

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"DfT should work with local transport authorities and the bus sector to maximise the impact of the available resources in reversing the decline in bus usage."

The NAO said there had been failings by successive governments in recent years. Public funding to bus operators accounted for half their revenue in the last financial year, at £1.8 billion.

In February 2020, then-PM Boris Johnson pledged £3billion in funding over five years for buses. The following year the DfT published a national bus strategy for England, Bus Back Better with plans to run cheaper and more frequent services.

But data shows the total number of bus journeys in England outside London fell by 9% to 1.78 billion compared in the year to March 2024.

A DfT spokesman said: "Better buses are around the corner and are central to the Government's Plan for Change- connecting communities, strengthening the local economy, and boosting access to jobs.

"After decades of decline, we're providing a record £1 billion investment to improve the reliability and frequency of bus services across the country.

"Our landmark Bus Bill, now progressing through parliament, will protect routes and prevent services from being scrapped - putting buses back into local control and bringing passengers back to the heart of buses."

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