At least 1,500 bus routes were cut in the last two years in England, figures published by the Department for Transport have revealed.
The latest report from the Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain showed that the number of local registrations fell from just over 12,000 in 2021 to fewer than 9,000 in 2023, although the DfT said many of the routes had been reclassified rather than lost altogether.
Labour accused the government of “vandalism against communities” and said more services were at risk.
Campaigners and bus operators have urged the DfT to provide more long-term funding for buses to stem decline after a decade of cuts.
Labour research found that the West Midlands was the region hardest hit by the decline in services, having lost two-thirds of local routes since 2010.
The total across England fell from 17,394 in 2010 to 8,781 in March 2023. Last year there were 10,941 routes, according to the commissioners.
The government said it was misleading to equate the figures directly with changes in the number of bus routes – with up to 1,400 of the 3,000 services deregistered by the commissioner over the past two years now operated under local transport authorities – but it acknowledged many services were lost.
Labour said it would tackle the decline by returning control to local communities, including extending the franchising powers available to metro mayors to all local transport authorities, giving them more power to choose routes and reduce fares.
Louise Haigh, the shadow transport secretary, said: “The staggering decline in local bus services under this government is nothing short of vandalism against our communities. Millions of people rely on these essential services, but they are being left without a voice as routes are cut back year after year.
“Labour’s plans will put passengers first by allowing communities to take back control over their bus services.”
Graham Vidler, the chief executive of the Confederation of Passenger Transport, which represents bus and coach operators, said bus services remained the UK’s most-used mode of public transport, and that passenger numbers – which dropped sharply during the pandemic – were now increasing by more than 10% annually.
But he added: “Bus operators are facing challenging economic conditions with industry costs up by 17% over the last year. Against this backdrop we have been clear the 21-month bus funding settlement from government is not sufficient to save every service. Operators and local authorities continue to work closely together to run buses where people want to go and to minimise the impact of any service changes.”
Vidler said longer-term investment in bus priority measures that free buses from congestion and speed up journeys would enable more routes to function.
The Campaign for Better Transport said buses were crucial to the economy. Its spokesperson Alice Ridley said: “To prevent further cuts and grow the network back to the level needed, the government must change the way buses are funded and replace the multiple and competitive funding sources with a single, long-term funding pot.”
A DfT spokesperson said the government had invested £3.5bn since 2020 to back bus services, adding: “Our recent £500m boost is capping fares until the end of November 2024 and protecting routes into 2025, helping people save money on travel and improving transport connections to grow the economy.”
