Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to support public transport in rural areas.

Transport in Northern Ireland is a devolved matter for the Northern Ireland Executive. The Government provides Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) in England outside of London with £42 million annually through the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) for the purpose of subsidising socially necessary services that would otherwise be commercially unviable, helping to support rural routes. The Government also provides over £200 million directly to bus operators every year through the BSOG to keep fares down and help them maintain an extensive network.

Our £20 million Rural Mobility Fund (RMF) in England is supporting 16 innovative, demand-led minibus trials in rural and suburban areas across 16 local authorities in England. These pilots are exploring whether Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) can serve these communities more effectively than traditional public transport solutions alone.