Local Bus Services

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Local Bus Services

Thank you for contacting me about local bus services.

In many areas, the bus is essential. It enables people to get to work, to school, to the doctor’s or to hospital, and can drastically improve quality of life. The Government has a role to play in supporting local bus services, and continued investment in buses is essential.

That is why at the 2015 Spending Review the Government committed to protecting the Bus Service Operator’s Grant (BSOG). Approximately £250 million was paid in BSOG last year, with around £40 million of this paid directly to English local authorities to help deliver bus services. This central funding has also been ring-fenced this financial year. Government also funds almost £1 billion of local authority spending on the concessionary bus every year and the Government is committed to maintaining the concessionary bus pass in this Parliament.

Bus projects and infrastructure are also important. Through the Local Growth Fund, around £200 million is expected to be spent on bus infrastructure schemes to 2020. This builds on the work of the Coalition Government, which allocated around £300 million for major bus projects, as well as £70 million to the Better Bus Areas programme.

Ministers are also taking forward a Bus Services Bill to provide local authorities with the means to improve local bus services. Local authorities will be able to set required standards of service with bus providers, including ticketing and the frequencies of services. It will also give powers to franchise services to combined authorities with directly elected Mayors to allow them to take control of their services as Transport for London does in London.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.

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