Buses are a lifeline to many; give them one Boris Johnson – The Yorkshire Post says

A legacy of Mr Johnson’s eight-year stint as Mayor of London when he put public transport improvements at the heart of his policy agenda, he now needs to ensure that his zeal for buses does not become stuck in a political cul-de-sac as a result of Covid-19.

Bus services are in crisis. Increasingly bereft of resources before the pandemic struck, and even more so in those Yorkshire market towns and rural communities where buses are a lifeline to the elderly, this has now been exacerbated by Covid’s existence.

A combination of declining passenger numbers – a legacy of the lockdown – and the daily cost of maintaining services has seen many more routes becoming unprofitable and in danger of being terminated unless the Government, in conjunction with regional leaders, does not inject more money.

An issue which is far more pronounced in the regions, rather than London where a regular and reliable service can be taken for granted, politicians and policy-makers would be advised to spend some time with those passengers whose lives depend on the buses – whether it be young people trying to get to work, key workers in night shifts, or the elderly going shopping or visiting the GP.

And rather than viewing bus policy as an after-thought, its value needs to be seen in a broader socio-economic context as well as a financial one – and it is time Mr Johnson set new policy wheels in motion. After all, the ambition is the same as it was a year ago – bus, and also, rail services becoming so reliable that they become the default mode of transport when the Prime Minister, and his colleagues, visit these parts.

Editor’s note: first and foremost - and rarely have I written down these words with more sincerity - I hope this finds you well.

Almost certainly you are here because you value the quality and the integrity of the journalism produced by The Yorkshire Post’s journalists - almost all of which live alongside you in Yorkshire, spending the wages they earn with Yorkshire businesses - who last year took this title to the industry watchdog’s Most Trusted Newspaper in Britain accolade.

And that is why I must make an urgent request of you: as advertising revenue declines, your support becomes evermore crucial to the maintenance of the journalistic standards expected of The Yorkshire Post. If you can, safely, please buy a paper or take up a subscription. We want to continue to make you proud of Yorkshire’s National Newspaper but we are going to need your help.

Postal subscription copies can be ordered by calling 0330 4030066 or by emailing [email protected]. Vouchers, to be exchanged at retail sales outlets - our newsagents need you, too - can be subscribed to by contacting subscriptions on 0330 1235950 or by visiting www.localsubsplus.co.uk where you should select The Yorkshire Post from the list of titles available.

If you want to help right now, download our tablet app from the App / Play Stores. Every contribution you make helps to provide this county with the best regional journalism in the country.

Sincerely. Thank you.

James Mitchinson

Editor