York and North Yorkshire’s mayor has welcomed almost £41 million in Government bus funding over the coming years but said a lack of increases to meet rising demand was disappointing.
Labour Mayor David Skaith said the multi-year settlement which his York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority will be free to spend as it likes would allow for more strategic investment.
But he added that allocations for each year would not rise to cover anticipated increases in demand and expectations for services.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the Government’s £3bn investment would give local authorities the funding they need to deliver lower fares and more frequent and reliable services.
It comes as the Department for Transport unveiled the multi-year bus funding for local authorities on Friday, December 5.
The allocations cover the next three financial years, from April next year until the end of March 2029.
The Department stated local authorities would have the choice to spend the cash however they like including on lowering the price of fares, bus lanes or zero-emissions vehicles.
They would also be able to use it to help cover the cost of franchising services to create models similar to that of the Bee Network in Greater Manchester.
It follows the Bus Services Act becoming law in October.
The law gives local authorities greater powers over how services are run and has introduced greater protections for socially necessary routes.
The York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority is set to receive £40,788,647, divided into seperate revenue and capital grants and spread roughly evenly between each year.
It follows the £564,000 the combined authority received from the Government to explore how bus franchising could improve services in rural and coastal communities.
Mayor Mr Skaith said funding announced on Friday would give them the certainty to plan ahead.
The mayor said: “People deserve better, more reliable bus services, and our ambition is unchanged – making sure every person who wants to take a bus in our region has a service they can trust and a fare that’s affordable.
“The multi-year nature of this settlement is welcome, but it is disappointing that the overall funding isn’t increasing, especially when demand and expectations are.
“We’ll keep doing what matters for our communities, delivering essential services and improved infrastructure, working with our local councils and exploring every option to create a more affordable, accessible and integrated bus network in York and North Yorkshire.”
Labour Transport Secretary Ms Alexander said the funding would bring about better bus services after years of decline.
The transport secretary said: “We’ve already extended the £3 bus fare cap to help people with their everyday journeys and now we’re backing this with the funding councils need to transform their local services.
“This is part of our wider plan to make public transport cheaper across the country.
“Whether it’s the bus to work, the train to see family, or getting to a hospital appointment, affordable transport is essential to bearing down on the cost of living and growing our economy.”
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