Five-year bus funding and minimum service requirements suggested by the UK Transport Committee to halt bus service deterioration

The Transport Committee has released a comprehensive report titled 'Buses connecting communities', which outlines a series of recommendations aimed at improving bus services across England. The report, published on 13 August 2025, attributes declines in bus usage to a combination of social and economic factors, including the pandemic's effects on travel behaviour, cost-of-living pressures, and a long period of stop-start funding.

One of the key proposals in the report is the implementation of five-year funding settlements for both capital and revenue, citing short-term allocations as undermining planning. This approach is compared to Ireland's Connecting Ireland programme, which has seen an expansion in Local Link routes and a significant increase in rural patronage since 2019.

The report also recommends a national minimum bus service for England, with a focus on ringfencing support for socially necessary routes. To incentivize passenger growth, the report suggests reforming the Bus Service Operators Grant, making it more effective in promoting increased ridership.

Another notable recommendation is the pilot of free travel for under-22s, a move aimed at encouraging younger generations to use public transport. The report also proposes a rural weighting in Bus Service Improvement Plan allocations to reflect longer distances and lower densities.

The report further highlights the importance of a clear strategy for fares, acknowledging that while the national fare cap has supported recovery, more needs to be done. The LGA supports the extension of the national fare cap to the end of 2025, while the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) argues for a £1 fare cap for young people, similar to the scheme set to be introduced in Wales from September.

The CPT also notes that perceptions of a "decade of decline" are outdated, pointing to an 8% rise in journeys across Britain last year and a 10% increase in England outside London. However, the report also notes that 56% of small towns can be classified as a "transport desert."

The Spending Review commitment is around £900m a year for buses over the next three years. The parties involved in the cross-party report were representatives from the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the Greens (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen), and the Free Democratic Party (FDP).

Finally, the fourth annual CiTTi Awards will be held on 25 November 2025, recognising achievements and innovations in public transport and transport planning. The report concludes that improving bus services is crucial for connecting communities, boosting the economy, and reducing carbon emissions.

Five-year bus funding and minimum service requirements suggested by the UK Transport Committee to halt bus service deterioration