Almost a fifth of England’s rural bus services have vanished in the past five years

Labour has introduced legislation extending franchising powers nationwide to enable all local authorities to take buses under local control. Photograph: Graham Turner/The Guardian

Almost a fifth of bus routes in rural areas of England have disappeared over the past five years despite government pledges to improve services, with county councils arguing they have lost out on bus funding to cities and towns.

Rural areas have received about half the extra state funding per capita than that awarded to urban areas with more comprehensive services, according to analysis by the County Councils Network.