Bus Services

19th May, 2021

In 2019 we got the 2C Sunday bus to Knott End back!

In normal times more journeys are made on buses than on any other form of public transport – over 4.36bn journeys. Buses are a lifeline for rural communities, and a well integrated bus service is crucial to the economic prosperity and social wellbeing of our towns.

Sadly the pandemic has hit bus services hard, and loss-making routes are all the more difficult to maintain. Although the Government financial support has been helpful, cash-strapped local authorities are still picking up the pieces trying to fund improvements as well as keep services running, and local people risk losing out.

The facts

We have lost 134 million miles of bus routes since 2010
Bus coverage in Britain is now the lowest it’s been in 30 years
Bus fares have risen by 70% over the last 11 years
Bus fares have risen by higher than average outside of cities
By 2024 there will be 26% fewer elderly and disabled passengers in England since 2010
50% households on low incomes and two-thirds of job seekers have no access to a car
Over 1,000 jobs lost in the bus and coach manufacturing industry alone since the pandemic started

The Problem

The Prime Minister promised 4,000 new “zero-emission” buses in February 2020, but their Spending Review later reduced the number to just 800, and there was no mention of this pledge in the Budget.
In October 2019 the Department for Transport announced £2m in funding to help up to 30 small operators; however, its roll-out has now been delayed to the 2021/22 financial year.
Transport Focus has warned that “for many people living in the countryside, especially those who do not own a car, bus services are seen as a lifeline. Many of these services are under threat as local authorities’ budgets are squeezed.”

What I’m doing
I have been working closely with providers including Stagecoach and Blackpool Transport to increase the accessibility and offer of the local public transport in the area where it is commercially viable, as the sector slowly begins to return to pre-Covid levels.

Knott End and Preesall
Following the huge success of getting the 2C Sunday bus service back to Knott End in 2019, I have continued working with Blackpool Transport to keep this, despite the challenging Covid-19 circumstances which has seen the route change to Saturday service levels in order to save costs.