CPT analysis claims billions of pounds shortfall in UK National Bus Strategy plans
CPT claims that there is a funding gap of more than £5billion between plans by local authorities and bus operators to improve services and available government funding.
To deliver the National Bus Strategy local authorities and bus operators were asked to draw up Bus Service Improvement Plans to set out how, with government funding, they would transform bus services.
An analysis of the plans by CPT, which include measures to introduce new ticketing and fare initiatives as well as plans to make bus journeys quicker and more reliable, has shown that well over £7billion will be needed to deliver the plans, significantly more than the funding announced at the government spending review.
CPT chief executive Graham Vidler says: “The National Bus Strategy challenged local authorities and bus operators to set out jointly how they would transform bus services.
“They have risen to this challenge and produced ambitious plans right across the country focusing on new fare and ticketing initiatives, investment in measures to make the bus more reliable, improved facilities for passengers and new zero emission buses.
“The scale of this ambition will not be met though with the funds that were announced at the Spending Review. Current funding is likely to be able to transform bus services in only a small number of places. There are tough choices ahead, but we believe that, wherever they live, all passengers should benefit from at least some improvements next year.”