A report by sustainable transport charity Campaign for Better Transport has highlighted how the Government can help local authorities provide better bus services.
The National Bus Strategy: Capacity and Capability report, commissioned by the Department for Transport and written by Campaign for Better Transport, looked at what barriers local transport authorities (LTAs) face in delivering the better local bus services outlined in the Government’s National Strategy for Buses.
It found that constraints in capacity and capabilities, together with a number of institutional and structural barriers, had the potential to lead to a significant gap between the expectations of the Strategy and what LTAs could deliver on the ground.
To address this gap, Campaign for Better Transport recommended the Government provide immediate targeted support for LTAs, with more longer-term support available through the newly established Bus Centre of Excellence. The recommendations have already been used by the Department for Transport to share funding allocations and the support on offer.
Silviya Barrett, from Campaign for Better Transport, said: “We are extremely pleased that this report is now available and even more pleased that the Government has not only recognised many of its findings, but already started to implement some, including launching the Bus Centre of Excellence.
“The competitive nature of bus funding was one of the main concerns highlighted by local authorities and this is something that still needs to be addressed. A single long-term funding pot for all local authorities would go a long way to helping deliver good, affordable and reliable local bus services across the country.”
The Government’s National Strategy for Buses, Bus Back Better, was published in March 2021 following a long campaign led by Campaign for Better Transport for a dedicated bus strategy. Having been instrumental in the Strategy’s inception, the transport charity was pleased to be commissioned by the Department of Transport to carry out research into local authorities’ capacity and capability to deliver its priorities.
Having discovered a number of barriers faced by different types of LTAs, Campaign for Better Transport’s report recommended that the Government provide targeted support to help LTAs meet the immediate requirements of the Strategy and made a number of suggestions on how best the Bus Centre of Excellence can support their longer-term needs.
Mrs Barrett added: “As a member of the stakeholder group, we are working closely with the Bus Centre of Excellence to help deliver the support local authorities need to improve bus services. We also work directly with local authorities to help them implement their transport improvement plans and would encourage any local authority which could do with our help to get in touch.”
For more information visit www.bettertransport.org.uk/about/projects-partnerships
Read National Bus Strategy: Capacity and Capability in full.
Sharon Kindleysides, Bus Centre of Excellence