National bus strategy: one year on

Transport Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 4 Mar 2022 Closed: 22 Jun 2023 Parliament page
A Transport Select Committee inquiry to scrutinise the implementation of the Government’s national bus strategy. as set out in Bus Back Better: national bus strategy for England published in March 2021 and to examine the challenges faced by the sector as it recovers from the pandemic. Read the call for … Read more
8 Recommendations
10 Conclusions
1 Report
3 Oral sessions
2 Letters
3 Events
Activity timeline 10 events
22 Jun
2023
Report published
30 Mar
2023
Report published
12 Oct
2022
Correspondence
7 Sep
2022
Correspondence
29 Jun
2022
Oral evidence
29 Jun
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 8, Palace of Westminster
8 Jun
2022
Oral evidence
8 Jun
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 8, Palace of Westminster
18 May
2022
Oral evidence
18 May
2022
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 16, Palace of Westminster
Oral evidence sessions 3 sessions
29 Jun 2022
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Stephen Fidler · Department for Transport The Baroness Vere of Norbiton · Department for Transport
8 Jun 2022
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Alistair Hands · Arriva Group Martin Dean · Go-Ahead Group Mr Peter Freedman · Switch Mobility Paul Turner · Transdev Blazefield Ltd Tanya Sinclair · Chargepoint
18 May 2022
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Councillor David Renard · Local Government Association Councillor Steven Broadbent · Buckinghamshire Council Councillor Tony Page · Reading Borough Council Linda McCord · Transport Focus Peter Bond · Transport for the West Midlands Peter Hardy · Integrated Transport Planning
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Fourth Report - Implementation of the National Bus Strategy HC 161 30 Mar 2023 18 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
8 results
Clear
8 Recommendation Accepted in Part
Fourth Report - Implementation of …
The Government made various commitments in the National Bus Strategy that we welcomed, as did...
The Government made various commitments in the National Bus Strategy that we welcomed, as did many in the bus sector. It said it would provide new guidance on socially and economically necessary services and on bus franchising. It also suggested … Read more
Government Response
The Government plans to publish new guidance on SENS during this Parliament and will consider statutorily requiring the provision of socially and economically necessary bus services if objectives are not achieved by agreement; revised franchising guidance will be published as soon as possible, and a Call for Evidence will be published during this Parliament into whether local authorities should be allowed to set up new municipal bus companies.
Department for Transport
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9 Conclusion Accepted in Part
Fourth Report - Implementation of …
We welcome the Government’s plans to phase out non-zero-emission buses.
We welcome the Government’s plans to phase out non-zero-emission buses. It will be expensive and, in the short-term at least, difficult on longer and more rural routes, but it is necessary. However, we note that decarbonising buses will only take … Read more
Government Response
The government partially accepts the recommendation, noting it consulted on an end date for non-zero emission buses in Spring 2022 and will shortly make an announcement, including the UK’s roadmap to achieving an entirely ZEB fleet but does not at present agree with government investment or consideration of synthetic fuels for buses.
Department for Transport
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10 Conclusion Accepted in Part
Fourth Report - Implementation of …
We support the Government’s ambition to have 4,000 new zero-emission buses on the road in...
We support the Government’s ambition to have 4,000 new zero-emission buses on the road in the UK by the end of this Parliament and welcome the funding it has allocated to meet this aim. However, it seems increasingly unlikely it … Read more
Government Response
The government will announce an end date for the sale of new non-zero emission buses and publish the consultation response; it will also set out the UK’s roadmap to achieving an entirely ZEB fleet, and outlines existing funding and schemes for ZEBs, but does not directly address incentivizing UK ZEB orders over overseas orders.
Department for Transport
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11 Conclusion Accepted in Part
Fourth Report - Implementation of …
If the Government is to meet its target it will need to intervene in the...
If the Government is to meet its target it will need to intervene in the process more actively. We note that Scotland’s scheme in which operators bid for funding centrally, thereby cutting out the middleman, has allowed Scotland to power … Read more
Government Response
The government will announce an end date for the sale of new non-zero emission buses and publish the consultation response; it will also set out the UK’s roadmap to achieving an entirely ZEB fleet, and outlines existing funding and schemes for ZEBs, but does not directly address Scotland's scheme.
Department for Transport
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12 Conclusion Accepted in Part
Fourth Report - Implementation of …
We are not convinced by the Government’s argument that incentivising the purchase of a zero-emission...
We are not convinced by the Government’s argument that incentivising the purchase of a zero-emission buses will no longer be necessary once their lifetime cost decreases to that of comparable diesel buses. The up-front cost of ZEBs will remain higher, … Read more
Government Response
The government will announce an end date for the sale of new non-zero emission buses, publish the consultation response, and set out the UK's roadmap to achieving an entirely ZEB fleet; they also highlight the funding already awarded for ZEBs. However, they did not specifically address the concern about upfront costs and infrastructure.
Department for Transport
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13 Recommendation Accepted in Part
Fourth Report - Implementation of …
The Government should set out a clear, staged plan for the full transition to zero-...
The Government should set out a clear, staged plan for the full transition to zero- emission buses, in tandem with the delayed response to its consultation on ending the sale of non-zero-emission buses. This should include a clear long-term funding … Read more
Government Response
The government will announce an end date for the sale of new non-zero emission buses and publish the consultation response; it will also set out the UK’s roadmap to achieving an entirely ZEB fleet, but it rejects further consideration of synthetic fuels for buses.
Department for Transport
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14 Recommendation Accepted in Part
Fourth Report - Implementation of …
Reforming the Bus Services Operators Grant will be complicated and may prove controversial, but it...
Reforming the Bus Services Operators Grant will be complicated and may prove controversial, but it is necessary. Successive Governments have accepted that, and promised to act, but little progress has been made. Further delay risks slowing the transition to zero-emission … Read more
Government Response
The government has introduced a 22p per km rate for ZEBs through BSOG and is working on proposals for a consultation on reforming the Bus Service Operator Grant (BSOG) to modernize and future-proof the grant; the consultation will include a proposal on changes to the payment metric and explore mechanisms to support ZEB uptake but it cannot confirm the exact content of the reformed BSOG until the evidence gathered through responses to the consultation has been analysed.
Department for Transport
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15 Recommendation Accepted in Part
Fourth Report - Implementation of …
The Government must consult on Bus Services Operators Grant reform now and proceed as quickly...
The Government must consult on Bus Services Operators Grant reform now and proceed as quickly as is feasible to introduce a new funding formula which incentivises operators to transition to zero-emission buses. (Paragraph 110) Conclusion
Government Response
The government has introduced a 22p per km rate for ZEBs through BSOG and is working on proposals for a consultation on reforming the Bus Service Operator Grant (BSOG) to modernize and future-proof the grant; the consultation will include a proposal on changes to the payment metric and explore mechanisms to support ZEB uptake but it cannot confirm the exact content of the reformed BSOG until the evidence gathered through responses to the consultation has been analysed.
Department for Transport
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Government Response AI assessment · 18 of 8 classified
Accepted 3
Accepted in Part 8
Acknowledged 6
Deferred 1
Total 8 recs + 10 conclusions
Correspondence 2 letters
12 Oct 2022 Correspondence from Minister of State for Roads, Buses and Places, Department for Transport, dated 3 September 2022relating to the £2 bus fare cap, dated
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7 Sep 2022 Correspondence from the Minister for Roads, Buses and Places, Department for Transport, relating to additional funding for buses, dated 19 August 2022
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