£130 million to protect bus services across the country
I'm delighted that the Government has listened to our calls for extra funding for local bus services, today announcing an extension to the pandemic Bus Recovery Grant.
The funding will see up to a further £130 million of government support to help ensure the viability of our local bus services. This funding builds on almost 2 years’ of unprecedented government support to keep our bus networks running. This £130 million extends the funding all the way through to March 2023.
Today’s funding means almost £2 billion has been made available to over 160 bus operators in response to the pandemic.
Over the past weeks and months I have held meetings with and written to ministers and officials, recognising that the recovery funding had been due to end this October. I could not be more pleased that the Government has listened and recognised that, with South Yorkshire passenger numbers still significantly compared to before the pandemic, our local bus networks needed this additional support to keep providing a good service.
(South Yorkshire bus passenger numbers):
- April-March: 2017/18 -94.5m
- April-March: 2018/19 -90.2m
- April-March: 2019/20 -83.4m
- April-March: 2020/21 -30m
- April-March: 2021/22 -53.8m
As I have said - buses are not just to get from A to B - regular, affordable and reliable public transport is absolutely central to the wellbeing of local people and the communities they live in.
That's why, in early July, I launched my Better Bus Survey. The feedback I've already received has helped me to make the case to ministers for this extra funding, and will also continue to inform my engagement with local bus companies and the South Yorkshire Mayor who is responsible for our public transport network.
