Bus service transparency

#21 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: We urge the Government to make good on the welcome promises set out in the national bus strategy, in particular to give local authorities more control over bus services, and to explain as soon as possible how it plans to …

Gov response: Our National Bus Strategy sets out how we will deliver better bus services for passengers, through ambitious and far-reaching reform of how services are planned and delivered. We asked all English Local Transport Authorities outside …

Under Consideration

#20 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: We welcome the ambition in the recent national bus strategy to increase bus usage and ensure cheaper and more reliable bus services across the country. In particular, we welcome its promise to give local authorities more control over bus services, …

Gov response: Our National Bus Strategy sets out how we will deliver better bus services for passengers, through ambitious and far-reaching reform of how services are planned and delivered. We asked all English Local Transport Authorities outside …

Under Consideration

#6 —

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Better local transport options and an integrated approach to education and transport planning, would reduce home to school transport costs, particularly in the most rural settings. The ongoing decline of bus services, particularly in rural areas, is a long-standing concern …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented The Bus Services Act 2025 puts the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders, enabling them to shape services that best …

Accepted

#33 — Introduce a new regional bus performance metric to compare services and benchmark progress.

Transport Committee

Recommendation: This vision should also be complemented by a new regional performance metric that enables meaningful comparison of services across different parts of the country. The metric should cover key indicators such as service frequency, reliability and passenger satisfaction, and it …

Gov response: We will implement this through the Outcomes Frameworks for Mayoral Strategic Authorities with Integrated Settlements and by setting clear expectations on outcomes reporting for other LTAs. Greater Manchester and West Midlands Combined Authorities are already …

Accepted

#32 — Publish a new national policy for buses within 18 months with a clear vision.

Transport Committee

Recommendation: The Government should within 18 months publish a new national policy for buses that sets out a clear vision for what a successful bus network looks like and what it should achieve. It should outline how buses interact 52 with …

Gov response: The Government will consider future opportunities to outline its policy and vision for local bus services. Buses have a vital role to play in delivering Government’s missions, including kickstarting economic growth, breaking down barriers to …

Not Addressed

#21 — Establish framework for local authorities' early access to operator data for bus franchising

Transport Committee

Recommendation: The Department should set out a clear framework to ensure that local transport authorities have early access to operator data on patronage, fares and costs when undertaking a statutory assessment for bus franchising. The framework should include defined timescales for …

Gov response: There are already existing statutory data powers in place for LTAs pursuing franchising. When a franchising authority is preparing a franchising assessment, operators are legally required to provide the necessary data to the authority. Traffic …

Partially Accepted

#20 — Lack of early access to operator data hinders bus franchising decisions

Transport Committee

Recommendation: Lack of access to consistent data about current services to support business cases creates an unnecessary barrier to franchising. The Department’s approach puts the cart before the horse: local authorities need access to the full range of relevant information before …

Gov response: There are already existing statutory data powers in place for LTAs pursuing franchising. When a franchising authority is preparing a franchising assessment, operators are legally required to provide the necessary data to the authority. Traffic …

Accepted

#17 — Bring forward proposals for guidance on integrating bus timetables with other transport modes

Transport Committee

Recommendation: The Department should bring forward proposals as part of its upcoming Integrated National Transport Strategy for guidance on how local authorities and transport providers can achieve more effective integration between bus timetables and those of other transport modes. (Recommendation, Paragraph …

Gov response: The Government recognises this is an important issue for the DRT sector. Policy responsibility for VAT rests with HMT, and any changes would need to be considered for their impact in the context of the …

Under Consideration

#16 — Establish minimum standards for bus stop facilities and real-time information provision

Transport Committee

Recommendation: In order to increase ridership, the Department should establish minimum standards for bus stop facilities and the provision of real time information at bus stops where appropriate. While bus stops are used in different ways and a one-size-fits all approach …

Gov response: The Government acknowledges that legislation and guidance covering the various forms of DRT and CT are complex and multi-layered. However, due to this complexity, we do not consider that 18 months would be a realistic …

Under Consideration

#15 — Absence of national framework for bus stop infrastructure and real-time information

Transport Committee

Recommendation: No national framework or clear design standard to improve the overall quality of bus stop infrastructure or real time information currently exists. Poor quality facilities like damaged shelters or seats and missing or inaccurate real time information undermine bus networks …

Gov response: The Government recognises the benefits that free travel for under-22s could bring. However, we are operating in a challenging fiscal environment and the future funding for bus services has already been allocated through the Spending …

Under Consideration

#12 — Mandate local authorities publish methodology and develop common standards for socially necessary services.

Transport Committee

Recommendation: The Department should mandate local transport authorities to publish a transparent methodology for how they determine which bus services qualify as socially necessary, to ensure public accountability. The Department should also develop common standards, and guidance, which the local formulas …

Gov response: We will therefore set this out clearly in the next substantive revision of the franchising guidance. This approach ensures both clarity for LTAs and flexibility to reflect local circumstances, while making clear the robust legislative …

Under Consideration

#6 — Introduce a rural weighting into the BSIP funding formula for low-density areas.

Transport Committee

Recommendation: The Department should consider introducing a rural weighting into its revised Bus Service Improvement Plan funding formula to reflect the higher per-passenger costs and structural challenges of serving low-density areas. This would help ensure that network improvement ambitions are not …

Gov response: As noted earlier, the Government is providing significant funding to LTAs, and our current funding letters make clear that we expect that this is used to support and enhance bus services. The Department reserves the …

Under Consideration

#1 — Significant disparities in public transport connectivity exist across UK communities.

Transport Committee

Recommendation: In larger cities like London, getting from A to B can be as simple as turning up and boarding. In many smaller towns and rural areas, however, whole communities can be cut off with no service at all, or have …

Gov response: The Government recognises the committee’s ambition and vision, and notes that there are potential benefits for passengers of a standardised approach to public transport service levels. We want to see a better standard of public …

Under Consideration

#18 — Publish local authorities' Infrastructure Funding Statements on the national CIL map.

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: The Ministry must review its guidance to local authorities on IFSs, to ensure all local authorities have a clear, up-to-date IFS which sets out how CIL receipts will be used locally, and when they will be pooled to deliver larger …

Gov response: 57. Planning practice guidance includes clear information on what should be included within IFSs. Further guidance is available on the PAS website. Initial PAS guidance was published in 2020, and this was updated in 2023 …

No Published Response

#17 — Local communities require greater transparency on how CIL receipts are spent.

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: It is important that existing local communities and new residents see the benefits of development, with new local and regional infrastructure being delivered alongside housing. This is especially the case when local authorities choose to pool CIL receipts to deliver …

Gov response: 76. While viability pressures are impacting residential development in many parts of the country, we know they are particularly acute in London. Those pressures were already resulting in proportions of affordable housing being reduced on …

Accepted

#15 — Publish an interactive map of CIL coverage and charging rates for local authorities.

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: The Ministry must publish an interactive map of CIL coverage on its website, updated quarterly to include the rates charged in each local authority in England. Publishing a national map would support the housing sector to navigate different charging schedules …

Gov response: 67. Initial engagement across Government and local government on the early adopter programme has already begun. Government will be agreeing an ambitious timeline for the delivery of the early adopter programme and wider rollout of …

Under Consideration

#14 — Complex patchwork of CIL coverage and charging schedules across England lacks transparency.

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: Around half of local planning authorities have adopted CIL, and its uptake has remained broadly unchanged for several years. There has been little progress towards addressing the complex patchwork of CIL coverage and charging schedules across England in the years …

Gov response: 65. As set out in the New Towns Taskforce’s report, the Taskforce has prioritised sites where housing can be delivered quickly to reflect the urgent need for housing and with high quality placemaking standards. New …

Under Consideration

#28 — Technological improvements like bus prioritisation and integrated ticketing enhance the bus passenger experience.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Other technological improvements which local areas have made include bus prioritisation and ticketing. Nottingham and Derbyshire are using interactive signalling to prioritise buses at busy junctions.69 Speeding up bus journeys can also be achieved by simplifying ticketing. The Department told …

Gov response: 7. PAC conclusion: Bus passenger experience is variable across the country in part due to patchy implementation of technology. 7. PAC recommendation: The department should, within six months, write to the committee explaining how it …

Accepted

#27 — Roll-out of real-time bus information faces challenges despite open data compliance.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Technology could vastly improve bus passengers’ experience on England’s buses. For example, providing live updates on when a bus will next be stopping would reduce uncertainty and help passengers plan their journeys.65 We asked the Department what it is doing …

Gov response: 7. PAC conclusion: Bus passenger experience is variable across the country in part due to patchy implementation of technology. 7. PAC recommendation: The department should, within six months, write to the committee explaining how it …

Accepted

#25 — Disabled people face persistent barriers to bus use due to inaccessible information and infrastructure.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Disabled people face persistent barriers to bus use, including lack of accessible travel information at bus stops and on-board, inaccessible ticketing systems and bus doors, as set out in evidence submitted by Transformative Transport Service Design Initiative.59 Further evidence from …

Gov response: 6a. PAC recommendation: The department should, within six months, write to the committee setting out the specific barriers preventing elderly and disabled passengers getting back on buses and its plans to address them. 6.1 The …

Accepted

#24 — Reduced bus usage by older and disabled people is not assured as genuine choice.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Older and disabled people are taking far fewer bus journeys than other passengers relative to pre-COVID bus usage; the number of concessionary journeys by older and disabled passengers is 29% lower than before COVID. The Department explained that fare paying …

Gov response: 6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: April 2026 6.2 Concessionary bus journeys have been increasing year-on-year since Covid but remain below pre-Covid levels. As is often the case for behavioural …

Under Consideration

#23 — Department lacks insightful analysis explaining disparities in bus service performance across areas.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Department’s focus, in what it told us, was on the best-performing local transport authorities around the country. This was at odds with experience in our constituencies, sometimes even in neighbouring counties.54 We questioned why there was such disparity in …

Gov response: 5. PAC conclusion: The department could do much more to support local transport authorities with the skills they need and to help them apply relevant good practice. 5a. PAC recommendation: The department should explain how …

Accepted

#20 — Enhanced partnerships demonstrate mixed success in improving bus services in rural areas.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: We asked the Department whether the only way to deliver benefits to passengers was to pursue franchising, with the associated transfer of risks from the private to the public sector. The Department clarified that local transport authorities must choose between …

Gov response: 4. PAC conclusion: The department has not yet provided local transport authorities with the information they need to understand the relative merits of different bus operating models, including franchising. 4. PAC recommendation: The department should …

Accepted

#16 — Department's evaluation programme lacks outcomes focus, providing poorly defined and unhelpful data.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Department’s evaluation programme is focused on specific funding streams, rather than on the outcomes it wants to achieve. Its most recent attempt to collect data to understand the impact of its funding interventions was poorly defined and did not …

Gov response: 3b. PAC recommendation: The department should develop a monitoring and evaluation plan for its portfolio of bus improvement interventions. 3.5 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: October 2026 3.6 The department …

Accepted

#15 — Department's inadequate monitoring hinders identification and support for under-performing bus service areas.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Local transport authorities achieve very different levels of bus service and the Department’s lack of monitoring means it cannot identify under-performing areas and help them improve.31 The Department does not have standard measures or defined outcomes for reliability, affordability, frequency …

Gov response: 3. PAC conclusion: The department does not know how it will measure local transport authorities’ performance on bus services. 3a. PAC recommendation: The department should, within a year, finalise a basket of measures and explain …

Accepted

#10 — Department's vision for bus services remains vague regarding specific improvements and timelines.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: We asked the Department what good performance looks like and when bus services will get there. The Department told us that the bill it is, at time of writing, sponsoring through Parliament sets out a clear vision for the bus …

Gov response: 1. PAC conclusion: Bus services have not been good enough for many years, particularly for people in rural areas. 1. PAC recommendation: The department should set out how it will clearly communicate its vision for …

Accepted

#3 — Finalise bus service performance measures and develop evaluation plan for interventions

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: The Department does not know how it will measure local transport authorities’ performance on bus services. Bus service performance varies significantly across the country, yet the Department does not have the data it needs to identify under-performing areas and help …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. for buses, with evaluations of Bus Service Improvement Plans, Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA), the Rural Mobility Fund (RMF) and £3 National Bus Fare Cap completing in …

Accepted

#2 —

Transport Committee

Recommendation: We welcome the funding for Bus Service Improvement Plans made available as part of the Government’s National Bus Strategy. It will do much good. Yet just over £1 billion is simply not enough money to produce real improvements in bus …

Gov response: Implementation of the National Bus Strategy 5 Recommendation 4 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 …

Partially Accepted

#31 — Devolving control alone is insufficient to deliver improved bus services without national strategic goals.

Transport Committee

Recommendation: We welcome the Government’s reforms aimed at devolving greater control to local authorities. This will not on its own, however, be a sufficient vehicle for delivering all the positive outcomes the Minister described as wanting for bus services. There is …

Gov response: The Government will consider future opportunities to outline its policy and vision for local bus services. Buses have a vital role to play in delivering Government’s missions, including kickstarting economic growth, breaking down barriers to …

Not Addressed

#14 — Require local authorities to identify and address unmet need for new bus services.

Transport Committee

Recommendation: The Department should make clear that local transport authorities operating within Enhanced Partnerships should not only maintain existing socially necessary services but should also be expected to identify and address areas of unmet need and potential for new services. The …

Gov response: We have extended the £3 NBFC to the end of March 2027 to avoid a sudden increase in single fares in England outside London and maintain affordability for passengers. The fare cap has provided valuable …

Under Consideration

#13 — Statutory duty to list socially necessary services fails to address unmet needs.

Transport Committee

Recommendation: The proposed statutory duty on local transport authorities to list socially necessary services applies only to those already in operation. There is no statutory requirement in the Bus Services (No.2) Bill for authorities to assess unmet needs or identify where …

Gov response: This Government’s vision for bus services is to grow bus patronage by improving services, and we therefore agree with the Committee. This includes enhancing and revitalising services so passengers have the connections they need to …

Not Addressed

#8 — Reform the Bus Service Operators Grant to incentivise ridership growth in under-served areas.

Transport Committee

Recommendation: The Department should, as soon as practicable, reform the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG). The overarching goal of reform should be to incentivise growth in ridership, particularly across under-served areas, for example instead of mileage the grant could be based …

Gov response: The Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) is working to keep fares lower and service levels higher than they would otherwise be, but the Government has already taken steps to reform BSOG and will continue to …

Accepted

#5 — Current Bus Service Improvement Plan funding formula neglects distinct challenges of rural areas.

Transport Committee

Recommendation: The Department’s shift to needs-based allocation of Bus Service Improvement Plan funding is a welcome and necessary step away from competition. However, the current formula does not explicitly reflect the distinct challenges faced by rural and more isolated areas, such …

Gov response: As noted in the Department’s written evidence to the Committee, the Government took the first step to reform bus funding by creating the Local Authority Bus Grant, which merged two previously separate funding streams. In …

Not Addressed

#9 — UK bus services perform poorly, demonstrating inadequate connectivity and significant economic costs.

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: Bus services in the UK perform poorly compared to those in other European countries. Fewer people can reach local city centres within 30 minutes than the European average. This poor connectivity costs the UK economy more than £23 billion per …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. requested by the Committee, noting that the negotiations for a Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement with the EU, and timescales involved, will need to be integrated into development …

Accepted

#1 — Report examines local bus services in England, excluding London

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Department for Transport (the Department) on local bus services in England outside London.1 This report excludes bus services in London, which has for …

Gov response: The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. approach to, bus services in England outside London, and the overall outcomes the department seeks to achieve by the end of this Parliament, in the next few months. …

Accepted

#17 —

Science, Innovation and Technology Committee

Recommendation: The Government cannot rely solely on removing barriers to market entry to diversify the telecommunications vendor market, but must also ensure that network operators actively pursue diversification and act to maintain the diversity achieved. This will require a combination of …

Gov response: The Government announced an initial £250 million of investment in research and development to drive early work on the diversification agenda. As set out in the Diversification Strategy, the early focus is to address the …

Accepted

#15 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: The Government should consider the case for extending powers for Transport for London-style oversight of local buses to all transport authorities, whether combined or local authorities. Where transport services cross local authority boundaries, joint working relationships should be encouraged between …

Gov response: Local authorities already have a combination of powers and responsibilities across housing, planning, transport, and procurement which gives them autonomy to deliver net zero. Most have passed local Climate Emergency motions, and many have set …

Under Consideration

#4 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: The lack of transparency and public engagement in the negotiation of devolution deals have not been addressed since our predecessor committee’s 2016 report. Both have remained minimal. We reiterate our predecessor committee’s recommendation that there should be greater efforts to …

Gov response: The Government has committed to an extensive and comprehensive process of engagement and informal consultation across the whole of the UK on the proposals in this White Paper. The Government has published a devolution framework, …

Under Consideration

#22 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: We are pleased the Government has promised to empower local authorities to take bold decisions in this area and to publish a toolkit of guidance and information to help local authorities develop innovative and sustainable transport policies. We also welcome …

Gov response: In Summer 2020, the Prime Minister launched ambitious plans to boost walking and cycling in England, with a vision for half of all journeys in towns and cities to be cycled or walked by 2030. …

Under Consideration

#2 —

Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee

Recommendation: A greater level of transparency is required about the Clearing House. To further allay concerns about the Clearing House, a greater volume of data on its performance should be published. As a minimum, the Cabinet Office needs to publish the …

Gov response: FOI compliance statistics for all government departments (excluding the devolved administrations), including those for the Cabinet Office, are published on a quarterly basis on gov.uk. The statistics are designated National Statistics in accordance with the …

Accepted

#18 —

Transport Committee

Recommendation: Away from the National Bus Strategy, the sector is in a tough spot. Post-pandemic, many people’s lives have changed, and this has altered, perhaps permanently, when and where they wish to travel. Reduced patronage has left many services hanging by …

Gov response: The Government also continues to support the sector’s recovery from the pandemic, and the extension of recovery funding for bus services around England demonstrates that we are doing all we can to support the sector …

Accepted

#16 —

Transport Committee

Recommendation: For too many years the story of buses in England outside London has been one of managed decline. The publication of the National Bus Strategy represented an opportunity to change that. It was ambitious, full of good ideas and supported …

Gov response: In welcoming this report, the Government would like to thank the Transport Committee for undertaking its inquiry into the Implementation of the National Bus Strategy. We welcome the Committee’s view that the 2021 National Bus …

Not Addressed

#8 —

Transport Committee

Recommendation: 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 …

Gov response: The Government accepts the committee’s recommendations on franchising and municipal bus companies, and partially accepts the recommendation on Socially and Economically Necessary services (SENS). We plan to publish new guidance on socially and economically necessary …

Partially Accepted

#6 —

Transport Committee

Recommendation: The Government should commission and publish an independent analysis of the first tranche of Bus Service Improvement Plan funding. It should then consult on the structure and aims of a further disbursement of ‘transformation’ funding. Underpinning this should be a …

Gov response: The Government has noted this recommendation. In August 2022 we commissioned the Bus Transformation evaluation. This includes the delivery of programme level monitoring and process, impact and value for money evaluation of initiatives implemented through …

Not Addressed

#3 —

Transport Committee

Recommendation: The publication of the National Bus Strategy was greeted with enthusiasm across the country, but this has dissipated in the many areas which received no funding to put their ambitious plans into action. Allowing roughly half the country to miss …

Gov response: The Government has noted this recommendation. In August 2022 we commissioned the Bus Transformation evaluation. This includes the delivery of programme level monitoring and process, impact and value for money evaluation of initiatives implemented through …

Accepted

#1 —

Transport Committee

Recommendation: The Bus Service Improvement Plan process has brought out the best in many local transport authorities and bus operators. We have been impressed by the ideas and innovation produced and the enthusiasm and commitment shown. We note the prevalence of …

Gov response: Implementation of the National Bus Strategy 3 Our announcement on 17 May 2023 included £160m additional funding to be provided to LTAs through a Bus Service Improvement Plan plus (BSIP+) mechanism focused on improving bus …

Accepted

#29 —

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: We asked about the role of local bus franchising, under which local authorities decide the routes, timetables and fares, in reducing reliance on local-authority-provided home to school transport. ADEPT explained that better working relationships between local transport and education authorities …

Response Pending

#28 —

Public Accounts Committee

Recommendation: We have previously raised concerns about the long-term decline of buses, particularly in rural areas.68 On home to school transport, the NAO reported that reductions in public transport services have increased reliance on local-authority-provided transport.69

Response Pending

#27 — Introduce legislation to decouple local authority accounts from Pension Fund statements

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: Local authority accounts are currently required by legislation to include Pension Fund statements, but this has made the accounts longer, more complicated, and less useful to users. The Government should introduce legislation to decouple local authority accounts from these Pension …

Gov response: We will consider the Committee’s recommendation as part of the review of legislation we have committed to undertake in response to Recommendation 8. There are 86 authorities, mainly county councils and London boroughs, which are …

Not Addressed

#26 —

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

Recommendation: The Department, in consultation with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, must resume the introduction of a standardised statement of service information and costs for local authority accounts as soon as actions to address the audit backlog have …

Gov response: We remain committed to the prospect of a standardised statement. However, introducing this now would add a new requirement onto auditors and accounts preparers at a time when the immediate priority must remain clearing the …

Not Addressed