Spending Review: £1bn Call to Tackle Bus Service Gaps

Campaign for Better Transport is calling for an additional £1 billion a year for buses as its analysis reveals four out of every ten wards in England and Wales (3,003 out of 7,608) do not have a ‘reasonable’ level of bus service.

The transport group estimates that an additional revenue investment of less than £1 billion a year is needed to improve the lives of millions of people and give these communities a decent bus service.

Campaign for Better Transport is urging the Chancellor to include the additional £1 billion a year needed in the upcoming Comprehensive Spending Review (11 June) to help increase access to work and education, boost the economy, and connect more communities to the wider public transport network.

Ben Plowden, Chief Executive of Campaign for Better Transport, said:

Buses are an essential public service. Increasing access to local buses is one of the quickest and most cost-effective ways of reducing social exclusion, boosting local economies and building thriving communities. Investing an extra £1 billion a year in our bus services—around half a per cent of the NHS budget—would have a huge social and economic benefit and would be great value for money for taxpayers.

Campaign for Better Transport looked at all 7,608 electoral wards in England and Wales and classified them by population density. A ‘reasonable level’ of bus service was defined as: at least one stop per 300 people and 300 weekly trips on average per stop in high density areas; one stop per 200 people and 150 weekly trips in medium density areas; and one stop per 150 people with 50 weekly trips in low density areas.

Campaign for Better Transport found that six out of every ten wards (4,605 out of 7,608) met the criteria of having enough stops and services for the size of the population. However, of the remaining wards, 2,552 had enough bus stops, but not enough bus services; 312 had enough services, but too few stops; and 139 had neither. Meaning that four out of every ten wards in England and Wales do not have a reasonable level of bus service.

To ensure that all areas have both enough bus stops, and enough services for the population, Campaign for Better Transport is urging the Chancellor to provide an additional £1 billion a year revenue funding for buses to fill the gaps and ensure every community can access a decent level of bus service.

Campaign for Better Transport included its £1 billion bus investment ask in its Comprehensive Spending Review submission to the Treasury.

To keep Britain moving, the group is also urging the Chancellor to:

• Prioritise investment in local transport – buses, walking, cycling and local safety improvements – over large-scale road schemes

• Support local transport devolution by giving all local transport authorities long-term funding settlements

• Freeze rail fares and support a root-and-branch review of the entire fares and ticketing system

• Maintain and renew existing transport infrastructure, focusing on essential rail upgrades, bus and active travel infrastructure and fixing potholes

• Support public transport investment through fairer taxation of airlines and private jets, and by ending the 5p full duty cut.

Next week is Better Transport Week, taking place from 16 - 22 June. 

Find out more about how you can get involved here.