There are just "10 days to act" to avoid bus services being slashed across England, Labour has warned. The Government’s current funding deal to keep services running despite the fall in demand sparked by the coronavirus pandemic expires at the end of March.
But operators planning to cancel or change routes are required to give six weeks of notice, meaning they are keen for a new agreement to be secured by February 17. Labour’s analysis, based on figures from the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT), show more than 1,600 routes could be cut this spring, leaving England with fewer than 10,000 routes for the first time since records began in 2002.
More than 1,100 routes have been axed in the past year alone. Labour is urging the Government to give operators "the certainty they need" on the future of the Bus Recovery Grant, and give communities more control over their bus routes and fares.
