Lib Dem MP for South Cotswolds urges the government to invest in local bus services

Lib Dem MP for South Cotswolds urges the government to invest in local bus services

In a debate on Labour's new Bus Services Bill, Lib Dem MP Roz Savage called on the Government to improve rural public transport.

During the debate, Roz asked fellow Liberal Democrat Paul Kohler MP:

“Does my hon. Friend agree that in rural constituencies like mine, bus routes are an absolute lifeline and a route out of poverty? When the 84/85 bus route was cut last year, it meant not only that people could not get to medical appointments or to work, but that students had to drop out of the college courses that would have enabled them to escape from poverty. Does my hon. Friend agree that we need to make sure that this Bill enables an affordable, joined-up and genuinely useful rural transport network?”

This comes as Wiltshire and Gloucestershire have seen a decrease in bus journeys of 17% and 23% respectively in the last year, including the closure of the crucial 84/85 route.

In addition to pressing for increased services, Roz is urging the government to restore the £2 bus fare cap, arguing that the increase to £3 places even further pressure on individuals suffering under the cost of living crisis.

Commenting after the debate, Roz said:

“Bus routes are absolutely vital for so many communities across the country, allowing them to get to school, work, shops or the hospital. For years, the Conservatives neglected bus routes and oversaw hundreds of cuts to vital services.

"This Government’s decision to hike the bus fare cap has already hurt the most vulnerable people who rely on buses in their daily lives and are struggling to meet living costs.

“The Government needs to change course and boost struggling local economies by investing in bus routes that have been pushed to the brink."

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