Buses: More cuts to services to come, operators warn

Further cuts in bus services could be on the horizon in April when government support for the sector ends, an industry group has warned.

The Confederation of Passenger Transport said it was still grappling with struggling passenger numbers and rising fuel and labor costs.

“Sometimes there is no alternative” to stop services completely, said her boss Graham Vidler.

It comes as a fare cap of £2 is being introduced to boost ridership.

From 1 January there will be a temporary cap on many individual local bus journeys across England (outside London) as part of a government funded scheme which will last three months.

Currently, the average cost of a single adult journey is £2.80 but can exceed £5 in rural areas, the government says.

But even with the program’s rollout and emergency funding amid the pandemic, bus companies say some routes simply don’t have enough demand to justify operating.

“Our costs have increased by around 25% due to rising fuel prices and rising cost of living – affecting the amount we have to pay our drivers,” Vidler told the BBC.

“At the same time, the number of passengers has fallen significantly.”

As a result, Mr Vidler estimates that the industry would need “around £250m to close a shortfall in the next financial year”, but concedes that would be far less than the cash needed to contain congestion in the rail sector.

Around half of public transport journeys in England are made by bus, according to the Department for Transport.

But activists say cuts in timetables mean many are frustrated by limited bus routes – and are using cars instead.

Alice Ridley of the Campaign for Better Transport charity says timetables are a problem across the country.

Ms Ridley says she hears about bus routes being changed or withdrawn almost every day.

Recent research by the charity suggests that bus services have been cut by a quarter in the last decade.

“If there aren’t more funds, we’re going to see even more cuts,” she said.

Cuts to local bus services in north-west Sheffield, for example, have prompted some locals to say there are not enough routes left to meet the community’s needs.

“Many routes have been cut – and even if you look at the timetable for the reduced services – the buses often just don’t show up,” said Graham Jones, a bus activist in Sheffield.

“As a result, people miss appointments, cannot come to church – and many more use their cars.”

Some areas in Sheffield have already introduced the temporary £2 fare to attract more passengers.

Bus Secretary Richard Holden told the BBC the government had already invested millions in supporting bus travel. He hopes the temporary cap on single fares will encourage more people to get back on buses.

“What I wish for is a reliable service for the future that is also affordable for people,” he said.

“If we don’t get that ridership back, we’ll just be paying hundreds of millions of pounds more in subsidies. What I’d like to see is that the money actually goes into delivering services,” he added.