WILTSHIRE Council’s affiliated public transport group, Option 24/7, has welcomed news from the Department for Transport (DfT) that bus providers are to be given a £29million uplift to assist with short term financial pressures.
The Westbury representative on the group has described it as a “lifeline” for local people. The Option 24/7 group say that while the news has secured the short-term survival of local bus services, more people must use local public transport services, or they will be lost.
The initial grant from the government to bus providers, called the Covid Bus Service Support Grant (CBSSG), was replaced by the Bus Recovery Grant following the lifting of Covid restrictions.
Option 24/7 was concerned this grant would not be extended due to low passenger numbers, but the DfT have said they are ‘actively considering’ a potential extension to the grant, as well as announcing a £29million uplift to BRG claimants this year.
“This is a lifeline for so many people in our local area,” said Lorraine Sencicle, the disabled/reduced mobility and Westbury representative on Option 24/7. “Although this news is very much welcomed, we need to get more bums on seats and convince more people to ditch the old polluting car for a bus or a bike so these services can run for longer.
“We were concerned that once the grant for bus providers had finished, the companies would, logically, start cutting back and once this starts, it becomes a slippery slope. This extension and uplift will keep the buses on the road for longer.
“We all know how valuable the local bus services are to those that use them but unfortunately for bus companies they just see bums on seats. The combination of government advice at the time to work from home, as well as general Covid-19 restrictions meant that of course the service had limited numbers, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t used.”
A statement by the DfT reads, “Following the lifting of restrictions, the Department has sought to balance the sector’s ongoing need for financial assistance as passenger numbers recover, whilst moving to a more sustainable footing. The BRG seeks to achieve this and succeeded the CBSSG scheme in September last year.
“The Department has been in close contact with operator and Local Transport Authority representatives to understand the challenges faced. Potential mitigations to these challenges, including a potential extension to the BRG post-April 2022, are being actively considered. In addition to this, to assist with short-term pressures, a £29m uplift will be provided to BRG claimants this financial year.”
