MPs told parts of eastern England are public transport desert

The BBC reports that MPs have been told that parts of the East of England are a "public transport desert"

Andrew Summers, the strategic director of Transport East, which oversees bus and rail services in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex, gave evidence to the Transport Select Committee, and aid problems with the accessibility of public transport in more rural areas was leading to "isolation and exclusion".

The Department of Transport said it was "considering how to provide effective support for the bus sector".

Mr Summers said a third of people in the three counties live in rural communities and that two-thirds of them were "living in a transport desert... unable to access services, education or training by any means realistically, apart from the car".

He said North Norfolk was a particular problem where some young people were spending almost £1,000 a year to travel from Cromer to Norwich by public transport to access skills training.

When MPs asked about the provision of rail services in rural areas, he pointed to the East Suffolk line which went from a two-hourly service to an hourly service and saw a 200% increase in passengers.

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BBC - MPs told parts of eastern England are public transport desert