Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that young people living in rural communities have access to reliable and affordable public transport to attend post-16 education, particularly in areas where scheduled bus services have been withdrawn and demand-responsive transport cannot guarantee regular journeys.

The Government knows that every community has its own unique needs from its public transport network and wants to empower local leaders to work with operators to design networks that meet those needs. Each area is different and therefore a tailored bus network, which may include Demand Responsive Transport (DRT), is required. There is no single solution in rural areas and DRT can be better suited to some places than others. Some DRT is currently used by young people to travel to college in rural areas. There are variations in how DRT can be used, including contracts for specific services at specific times and operating semi-flexibly. Local authorities are best able to determine how to meet the local transport needs of young people attending college in their area.

The Department for Transport published DRT Best Practice Guidance last December, which encourages engagement between different areas of the local authority such as between transport, education and social care and with the local community, including colleges, to identify need and maximise usage of DRT vehicles throughout the day.

The Bus Services Act 2025 puts decision-making into the hands of local leaders across England, including those in rural areas, allowing local areas to determine how best to design their bus services so that they have control over routes and schedules. It also requires local authorities in Enhanced Partnership areas to identify socially necessary local services, produce bus network accessibility plans and to consult disability organisations on changes to services.