Funding for local bus services in Yorkshire and the Humber down by a third since 2010 - TUC analysis

Funding for local bus services in Yorkshire and the Humber has been cut by more than a third (-36%) since 2010, according to new TUC analysis published today (Friday).

The analysis shows that in 2010 funding for bus services in the region was £60 million. But by 2018 this had fallen to £38 million as a result of Conservative cuts to local government funding.

Kingston Upon Hull is the worst affected travel area

Kingston upon Hull has experienced the sharpest fall (-70%) in funding for local bus services, followed by South Yorkshire (-56%) and West Yorkshire (36%).

The only travel area to have seen an increase in funding is North Lincolnshire which bucks the regional trend.

Analysis published by the union federation this month revealed that council funding for key local services – including transport – have been slashed by £850 million in Yorkshire and the Humber since the turn of the decade.

Campaign for Better Transport research shows that 54 local bus routes in the region have been lost or reduced over the last year.  This is despite the fact that almost 60% of journeys on public transport in Britain are made on buses.

Private bus companies have continued to pay out dividends, despite cuts to services

The TUC says that despite cuts to local services private bus operators are still paying large sums to shareholders.

In 2017 more than £6 million was paid out to shareholders of the five biggest private bus companies operating in the region.

Millions of miles of bus routes have been lost

Government data also shows that commercially run buses in West Yorkshire are travelling 10 million fewer miles than since 2014, the earliest date available for local authority figures. This represents a loss of 10% of commercial route miles.

TUC regional secretary Bill Adams “Local bus services are a vital lifeline for communities across the region. People use them to get to work, see friends and family and take trips to town.

“But Conservative cuts to local government have led to thousands of bus routes being cancelled or reduced.

“If that wasn’t bad enough private bus operators have continued to pay out dividends as services have been cut back.

“Working families deserve a bus network fit for the 21^st century. Not one run on the cheap for the benefit of shareholders.”

ENDS