More than 1,100 bus routes were axed last year, despite Tory promises to protect and improve services.
An analysis of official figures by the Liberal Democrats showed bus routes had been slashed by 7.5% nationwide in 2022 compared to the previous year.
The West Midlands was the hardest-hit region, losing almost 400 routes in a single year. The North East lost almost 300.
Government data shows a staggering 3,903 routes have been lost since 2015 - with the North East alone losing almost 900 services.
The stark figures come despite Boris Johnson ’s 2019 “Bus Back Better” strategy, which promised “thousands of new buses, improved routes and higher frequencies.”
Lib Dem transport spokeswoman Wera Hobhouse called for the Government to step in to prevent local bus services becoming “extinct.”
“Our bus services are on the brink,” she said.
“From bus back better to buses going bust, this Government has completely failed to protect public transport and it’s harming our communities.”
Some 43% of those who travel by bus do so for commuting or educational purposes, which has raised concerns that the cuts could be harmful for jobs and businesses.
Ms Hobhouse added: “From Cornwall to Cumbria, there are pensioners, students and commuters being left behind as they find themselves stranded by these cuts.
“This Conservative Government has taken our communities for granted by overseeing years of shocking cuts to bus routes, leaving commuters and students lacking the vital services they need to get on with their lives.”
A Department for Transport spokesman said: “Since March 2020, we’ve invested over £2 billion pounds to maintain bus routes, including a further £80m to continue protecting vital bus routes until the end of June.
“To encourage more people back onto buses, we have also capped single tickets at £2 until the end of June, and have allocated more than a billion pounds to improve bus services across England."
