Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Bus Fares

Thursday 26 October 2023 · 3 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Robbie Moore questioned the Government on the assessment of policies regarding the cost of bus fares and highlighted the introduction of a new 1 zone in Keighley.
  • Robbie Moore noted that single tickets for other journeys in Keighley now cost just 2 due to Government support.
  • Clive Betts highlighted a 50% drop in bus passenger miles in South Yorkshire since 2010, expressing concern about the impact of service cuts on communities.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Robbie Moore Con Keighley and Ilkley
Transport
Context

The question arises from the government's policy on bus fare caps in England outside London, aiming to make travel more affordable for passengers.

Question

What assessment has been made of the potential implications for the policies regarding the cost of bus fares? I warmly welcome the Government's support, which is making bus journeys across Keighley and our wider area much more affordable. As a result of the bus service improvement plan, as from last month we have a new £1 zone in Keighley, making travel around the town much more affordable.

Answer from Richard Holden

This Government certainly do. I thank my hon. Friend for raising our commitment to supporting bus services, not just in his constituency but right across the country. This is just a small part of the £3.5 billion we have invested in bus services, with much more to come, including our recent announcement of another £150 million for the bus service improvement plan from the money for Network North, starting next year.

Answered
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Q2 Robbie Moore Con Keighley and Ilkley
Transport
Context

The Government announced an indicative additional bus service improvement plan worth more than £13 million for West Yorkshire.

Question

As a result of the bus service improvement plan, as from last month we have a new £1 zone in Keighley, making travel around the town much more affordable. Moreover, a single ticket for other journeys costs just £2, thanks to the Government. Does my hon. Friend agree that this demonstrates that our Conservative Government recognise the importance of local, affordable travel links that help to support our communities?

Answer from Richard Holden

This Government certainly do. I thank my hon. Friend for raising our commitment to supporting bus services, not just in his constituency but right across the country. This is just a small part of the £3.5 billion we have invested in bus services, with much more to come, including our recent announcement of another £150 million for the bus service improvement plan from the money for Network North, starting next year.

Answered
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Q3 Clive Betts Lab Sheffield South East
Transport
Context

In South Yorkshire, since 2010, bus passenger miles have dropped by 50%, resulting in many communities being cut off from essential services.

Question

Let me put this in context. In South Yorkshire, since 2010, bus passenger miles have dropped by 50%, which is a catastrophic fall in the use of our bus services. The cuts to services mean that many communities are now cut off completely. When the Government came to allocate the recent funding, did they take account of the fact that South Yorkshire had previously had no BSIP funding whatsoever? Adding the current funding to the previous funding, South Yorkshire has had far less per passenger head than other parts of the country.

Answer from Richard Holden

I would welcome an Adjournment debate on South Yorkshire buses, if the hon. Member for Sheffield South East (Mr Betts) were to put in for one. I spoke to the Mayor of South Yorkshire just this week, and he said that the authority will need around £8 million next year to put back all the services that have been removed over the past few years. In our Network North allocation, it is getting £67.8 million next year. On top of that, he is getting another £3 million in BSIP funding next year.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The exact discrimination against South Yorkshire was not directly addressed

How: Welcoming An Adjournment Debate, Suggesting Further Discussion

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