Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Bus Patronage

Thursday 12 March 2020 · 5 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 5 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Secretary of State supports a campaign called "Bring Back the Buses" for isolated communities.
  • The Government will publish a 5 billion national bus strategy soon to improve services in rural areas.
  • The Secretary of State agrees to conduct a comparative study of bus fares as part of the national bus strategy.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Alex Cunningham Lab Stockton North
Transport
Context

Cunningham asks about steps being taken to increase bus usage.

Question

What steps is the Secretary of State taking to increase bus patronage? He also inquires if Shapps will support a campaign called “Bring Back the Buses” for isolated communities that have lost their services.

Answer from The Secretary of State Grant Shapps

Yes, I will gladly back that campaign. Everyone recognises that buses could and should be doing a lot more. I recognise that we have lost services over a period of time. Buses are still the chosen form of transport for 50% of travel, so it is important that we get this right.

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Q2 Matt Rodda Lab Newton Abbott
Transport
Context

Rodda criticises the government for cutting bus funding and favouring road construction over public transport.

Question

The Government have cut bus funding by 45% since 2010. With a new budget that allocates more than 27 times more spending on roads than buses, when will the Government provide real investment in public transport?

Answer from The Secretary of State Grant Shapps

We are not just paying lip service; we are doing it. What he does not seem to understand about building roads is that buses run on them.

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Q3 Philip Hollobone Con Kettering
Transport
Context

Hollobone notes the disparity in direct revenue support between London and other regions.

Question

Given that just £43 million of a £250 million fund goes to local councils outside London, we will need more investment to reinstate lost bus services in rural areas. Is this correct?

Answer from The Secretary of State Grant Shapps

My hon. Friend is absolutely right, and that is where the £5 billion national bus strategy, which we will be publishing shortly, comes in. Our aim is quite simply to get to a London standard of service throughout the country, including in rural areas and his constituency.

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Q4 Chi Onwurah Lab Houghton and Sunderland South
Transport
Context

Onwurah requests a comparative study of bus fares in London versus her region, highlighting the unfairness.

Question

For £1.50 in London I can get two buses anywhere across the capital for up to 30 miles, whereas in Newcastle this will not even cover three stops on West Road and costs £8 to Ashington (18 miles away). Can we have a comparative study of bus fares?

Answer from The Secretary of State Grant Shapps

I can assure her that that is exactly the process that we will be following in developing the national bus strategy, and I would be more than happy to work with her and incorporate her ideas.

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Q5 Andrew Griffith Con Burton
Transport Climate Energy
Context

Griffith asks about promoting cleaner, greener buses including the use of hydrogen.

Question

To get more people on the buses, we need to make them cleaner and greener. What is being done to promote the use of hydrogen?

Answer from The Secretary of State Grant Shapps

We want buses that are cleaner and greener with 4,000 new electric or hydrogen-powered buses. We warmly welcome all such developments. My hon. Friend can be reassured that we are working closely with bus operators to develop new British buses.

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