Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Bus Service Improvement Plans: North-west England

09 March 2022 · 8 other contributors · 9,986 words

Opened by Charlotte Nichols Lab Warrington North

Responding minister: Trudy Harrison

TransportEnvironment

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Charlotte Nichols raised concerns about bus service improvement plans: north-west england in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Millions of people in Warrington and the North West rely on buses for essential travel.
  • Over the last decade, more than 3,000 bus routes and over 350,000 passenger journeys have been lost.
  • The government has committed over 3 billion of new funding for buses, including 1.2 billion for transformational improvements.

Key requests to Government

Will the Minister admit that many areas will not see any transformation funding? Will she provide details on how much local transport authorities in the North West are set to receive?

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Charlotte Nichols Lab Warrington North

In Warrington and across the North West, millions of people rely on buses for essential travel. Over the last decade, deregulation and a Tory decline have resulted in more than 3,000 bus routes being lost and over 350,000 passenger journeys disappearing. The reduction in services has led to increased air pollution, with over 1,000 deaths annually linked to poor air quality in the Liverpool city region alone. Despite the 'Bus Back Better' strategy promising a great service for everyone everywhere, funding for bus service transformation from £3 billion to £1.2 billion is insufficient, leading to communities being cut off and services potentially being reduced or lost.

Other contributors (8)
  • Bob Blackman Con Harrow East

    The Minister has stated that there is not enough money to fund all transformation bids, but the North West should have received a fair share of the £3 billion promised. The reduction in funding is a real concern.

  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    He promoted the use of advanced technology in buses, such as hydrogen buses from Wrightbus, suggesting they are reliable and could encourage people to switch from cars to public transport.

  • Justin Madders Lab Ellesmere Port and Bromborough

    Madders highlighted the inadequacy of public transport in his constituency, noting high reliance on private motor transport and frequent threats to bus services. He cited examples such as rerouting of the No. 7 bus service due to parking issues and closure of the Ellesmere Port police station lacking accessible alternative transport options for those without cars. Madders emphasized the lack of strategic planning and transparency in consultations, leading to reduced accessibility and increased inconvenience for elderly and disabled residents. The Minister recognised the surprise at the ease and affordability of bus services in London; constituents want to know when they will no longer pay twice the fare for half the distance on local buses.

  • Margaret Greenwood Lab Blackley and Broughton

    Discusses the negative impacts of bus deregulation since the 1980s, highlighting the loss of over 200 services in Liverpool city region and advocating for public control through franchising. Raises concerns about funding gaps with only £1.2 billion allocated against a need of more than £7 billion. The Confederation of Passenger Transport suggested that over £7 billion was needed to deliver the measures in bus service improvement plans, but the Government have only allocated £1.2 billion. The authority's ambition for a modern, reliable transport service cannot be met with this funding gap.

  • Mike Amesbury Lab Warrington South

    He highlighted the decommissioning of route No. 62 from Runcorn to Warrington, emphasising the importance of reregulation and hoping for a positive outcome in the judicial review. Asks if the hon. Friend agrees that the regulation for resources is vital for a first-class affordable public transport system.

  • Paul Maynard Lib Dem Blackpool North and Cleveleys

    The Liberal Democrats support measures such as zero-emission buses, but oppose the introduction of a new licensing regime for bus operators. The focus should be on providing quality services rather than on regulation.

  • Sam Tarry Lab Ipswich

    Expressed disappointment in the Government's ambition for bus services, citing underfunding and inadequate statutory framework leading to declining bus coverage. Highlighted the disparity in fares across different regions, with some areas seeing fares as high as an hour's wage for a worker.

  • Yasmin Qureshi Lab Bolton South and Walkden

    She provided an example of a constituent's daily commute involving multiple bus changes, often leading to delays or cancellations that result in job loss, illustrating the concerning situation for many people. On funding, in Bolton we need £30 million; otherwise one third of all buses will be cut. That will impact my constituency massively. Proper funding is so important. Notes the issue of affordability in her constituency where two sets of bus providers on the same route charge different fares, causing confusion for constituents.

Government Response

Trudy Harrison

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Nokes, and to hear the appreciation of and ambition for buses and public services, particularly in the north-west. The Government are committed to supporting bus services with over £3 billion of new funding for buses over this Parliament, including £1.2 billion for transformational bus service improvements, more than £500 million for zero-emission buses, and more than £500 million for city region sustainable transport settlements. This funding will bring about significant changes such as the roll-out of 32 electric buses in Greater Manchester and 120 battery-electric buses in Warrington over the next few months. The Government's national bus strategy aims to make buses more frequent, reliable, easier to understand and use, better coordinated, and cheaper through measures like low flat fares and daily price caps. Authorities will submit draft versions of their enhanced partnership plans and schemes to the DFT by the end of April this year. The Department is also working on improving access for disabled people and introducing multi-operator contactless capped fares within each local transport authority area. Additionally, funding has been allocated for staff capacity and capability measures in local transport authorities and the bus industry.

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