Bus Funding

Sarah Gibson Excerpts

Monday 18th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Louise Haigh]

My hon. Friend makes an important point. This Government have put improving public transport at the heart of our priorities in order to deliver growth and allow people to access opportunity. Colleagues from across the House will recognise the picture he painted because, time and again, they will hear that the biggest barrier many businesses face to widening their labour market and ensuring people can access opportunity is poor local transport. That is why we are so delighted to announce this transformational funding.

[Sarah Gibson (Chippenham) (LD)]

I welcome the Secretary of State’s statement today that every region of England and Wales will benefit, especially rural areas and small towns. In Chippenham, large agricultural industries based in the countryside are currently having to find private transport themselves to get shift workers in and out of their businesses. The further education college has had to cap its hours because the last bus leaves so early that students cannot continue to follow a proper day’s work. This is a real problem for growth and skills in my rural constituency. Will the Secretary of State ensure that those counties that are not currently part of a wider mayoral system get the funding they need?

[Louise Haigh]

Colleges and large employers that use shift workers are two of the institutions that often raise with me their frustration about local bus services. The problem with the current system is that nobody has the ability to require operators to run services according to timetables or shift timings. The move to franchising will allow local areas to design such services and ensure that buses run when shifts finish or colleges open or close. The new funding formula model will ensure that rural areas get the funding they deserve.