Asked by: Natalie Fleet (Labour - Bolsover)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of (a) the level of transport related social exclusion and (b) cuts to community transport by Derbyshire County Council on people in Bolsover constituency.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The government understands that a modern transport network is vital to kickstarting economic growth, providing access to services and preventing isolation. Good local transport services are an essential part of prosperous and sustainable communities, connecting people and enabling access to employment, education and essential services.
The Government confirmed almost £1bn to support bus funding across England. Derbyshire County Council, which is now part of East Midland Combined Authority (EMCA), will benefit from a total bus funding of more than £40m which will be allocated to the EMCA to support, improve and protect bus services and keep fares down. The Bus Service Improvement Plan for Derbyshire County Council can be found here.
We encourage local transport authorities to engage with community transport operators when preparing their Bus Service Improvement Plans, which are vital in setting out long-term plans for bus services and how they will be improved.