Local authorities already provide support for many bus services in areas of low car ownership. It is for individual local authorities to decide which services to support in their area. They should take account of accessibility planning when deciding their criteria for subsidised service support. The Department’s Guidance on Accessibility Planning specifically refers to the needs of those without access to a car as one of the factors to be taken into account.
Total local and central Government support for bus services is estimated to have been £1.8 billion in 2005-06, much of which will have been spent on safeguarding services.
We are currently taking a long, hard look at a whole range of bus issues to assess whether changes are necessary to improve delivery of our objectives, including those on accessibility and social inclusion.
The rural bus challenge was first introduced in 1998; five further annual competitions were held, the last being in 2003. A total of £110 million for 301 schemes was awarded to local authorities over that period.
There are currently no plans for further competitions under this scheme, which was aimed at developing and demonstrating the potential for innovative approaches to meeting rural transport needs. It was never intended to provide permanent revenue support for the projects supported. Information from local authorities shows that the scheme has encouraged the development of a large number of successful projects, many of which are now being continued with mainstream funding from local authorities, including funding from the Department's rural bus subsidy grant, or other sources.