LGA responds to NAO report on improving local bus services

“Bus services have a critical role to play in the national recovery from COVID-19 and beyond, through supporting local economies, tackling poor air quality and congestion and reaching the country’s net-zero carbon targets by 2050."

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Responding to a National Audit Office report on improving local bus services in England (outside London), Cllr David Renard, Local Government Association transport spokesperson, said:

“We support the NAO’s call for the Government to set out a clear, long-term vision for the future of bus travel.

“Passenger numbers and services have been on a declining trend for some time. Now COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on both current services and the future viability of the current model of funding and delivery of buses outside London.

“We need a complete reset as to how we provide bus services in future, which includes the level of investment and subsidy required to meet the country’s net-zero commitment and the Government’s ambition to make public transport and active travel the natural first choice for daily activities.

“Bus services have a critical role to play in the national recovery from COVID-19 and beyond, through supporting local economies, tackling poor air quality and congestion and reaching the country’s net-zero carbon targets by 2050.

“As part of a new strategy for bus travel, the Spending Review should back the Government’s ambition for buses and give councils oversight of local bus services, who are best placed with their local knowledge to define and commission public transport networks."