Shropshire Star

Pledge on Telford buses as numbers fall by 37 per cent

Telford & Wrekin Council has pledged to protect bus passengers after a steep fall in use over the past 12 years.

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The council has pledged £500,000 to retain existing routes after revealing bus use has fallen by 37 per cent over the last 12 years in the borough.

There have been 2.3 million fewer passenger journeys in the Telford & Wrekin area than there were in 2006.

Today Telford & Wrekin Council said it was working behind the scenes to try to protect services in the town.

Councillor Lee Carter, the council's cabinet member for finance, said: “We currently provide a financial subsidy to Arriva to continue to run a small number of non-commercial bus routes and we have committed an additional £500,000 to retain these existing routes until 2020.

“However, the outlook continues to be challenging, with passenger numbers declining on top of continued cuts in Government funding for local authorities. In addition, any efforts that the council may consider making to get a greater foothold into this market are undermined by incoherent Government policy.

“We fully recognise the importance of local bus services to our communities and we are working hard behind the scenes to lobby government to see properly subsidised services provided across Telford and Wrekin along with a properly funded concessionary travel scheme."

Rail companies get far more subsidies than bus companies, Councillor Carter said.

"At the moment, the council receives just £40,000 a year from Government to support local bus services but a typical annual running cost for one bus is approximately £100,000 a year," he said.

“So the government funding is simply not enough, particularly in comparison to the government’s subsidy provided to privately owned rail companies which receive significant financial support.”