Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to support the improvement of bus services in suburban and rural communities, including Gedling, Burton Joyce, Lambley, Woodborough and Bestwood Village; and what steps she is taking to support local transport authorities to improve bus service frequency and reliability.

The Government recognises the vital role of buses in connecting people with jobs, education, healthcare, family and friends.

Earlier this year, the Government confirmed funding through the Local Authority Bus Grant (LABG) for the remainder of the Spending Review period. The formula takes account of the needs of each local transport authority and specifically includes rurality. East Midlands Combined Authority will receive £67 million under the LABG. To support affordability, on 22 July, we also announced that single bus tickets will be capped at £2 from 1 January 2027. This is particularly important in rural areas where uncapped single fares can be higher.

Alongside this funding, the Government recognises that there are different ways of improving bus services and the needs of urban and rural areas differ. The East Midlands Combined Authority uses the Enhanced Partnership (EP) model to deliver their local bus services. This allows Local Transport Authorities to work with their bus operators to deliver improvements to bus services in their area.

Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) can play an important role in ensuring communities can access transport services in areas where more traditional, regular stopping services may not be viable. This includes funding and supporting local transport authorities to deliver DRT services, such as Nottsbus On Demand. We published DRT best practice guidance in December 2025 which provides local authorities with a guide to setting up and deploying DRT schemes.