Outrage as Medway Council receives nothing from Government’s £1 billion pot for bus service improvements

Medway Liberal Democrats have slammed the Government for not providing a single penny to improve and protect local bus services - while other areas have received hundreds of millions of pounds.

In late 2021 Medway Council, alongside all other Local Transport Authorities in England, bid for funding to carry out Bus Service Improvement Plans. However the Government made only a fraction of promised funding available and in April is was announced Medway would receive no funding at all.

John Castle, chair of Medway Liberal Democrats is calling for Medway to receive its fair share;

He said,"It is scandalous that our area has been completely ignored by the Government on such a vital issue. Local buses are a lifeline for many people in Medway. Thousands of residents rely on them each and every day to get to work, school, appointments and to see friends and family."

"Bus passengers rely on services, especially in our rural areas. Emergency funding that has been keeping many commercial operators going runs out in October 2022. Action is needed now to make sure our local routes are protected."

"That's why Medway Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to provide the full funding that is required to make our local bus provision fit for the future."

"We are also calling on the Government to make a significant proportion of this money 'revenue funding' - so that it can be spent directly on more bus services and improving fare prices."

"We need to be working in very close partnership with our local bus operators to meet the challenges that lie ahead. But we can only do this with adequate funding and that's what the local Lib Dems are fighting to get."

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

Finding stats and figures for your local area

• You can find a list of Council's that received funding in this report from the Campaign for Better Transport. This helpfully compares the amount each Council received with the amount they requested.

• The three-fifths of Council areas that received no funding at all are listed here.

• You can find localised information on bus passengers numbers, and how they have changed year on year, for each Local Council area here.

Bus services are a lifeline to millions of people. In both rural and urban areas, they are the only means of transport for many people to get to work, school, appointments, shops and to reach family and friends. Bus services are under greater pressure than ever before. Over the past 10 years over 5000 bus routes have been lost.

Furthermore Government support for Local Authorities has been inconsistent and weak. Last year, all 79 Local Transport Authorities in England submitted funding bids for transformational funding to improve local bus infrastructure. Despite £10 billion worth of improvements being identified by councils, only £1 billion of funding has been allocated.

• Only 2/5 of Councils received any funding - and those that did only received a fraction of what they need.

• 3/5 of Councils received no funding at all (not a single penny)!

The following Local Transport Authorities received no funding at all from the Government - despite all making bids.

Bedford Borough Council
Blackpool Council
Bracknell Forest Council
Buckinghamshire County Council
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority
Cheshire East Council
Cheshire West and Chester Council
Cumbria County Council
Dorset Council
East Riding of Yorkshire Council
Essex County Council
Gloucestershire County Council
Hampshire County Council
Herefordshire Council
Hull City Council
Isle of Wight Council
Lancashire County Council
Leicester City Council
Leicestershire County Council
Lincolnshire County Council
Medway Council
Milton Keynes Council
North Lincolnshire Council
North Northamptonshire Council
North Yorkshire County Council
Plymouth City Council
Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
Rutland County Council
Sheffield City Region Combined Authority
Shropshire Council
Slough Borough Council
Southampton City Council
Southend-on-Sea Borough Council
Staffordshire County Council
Suffolk County Council
Surrey County Council
Swindon Borough Council
Tees Valley Combined Authority
Telford and Wrekin Council
Thurrock Council
Torbay Council
Warwickshire County Council
West Midlands Combined Authority
West Northamptonshire Council
Wiltshire Council
Wokingham Borough Council
Worcestershire County Council