Unions launch campaign to save Yorkshire bus services amid funding fears

The Trades Union Congress has organised public meetings where residents can put their concerns to council leaders in different parts of the region.

This summer, The Yorkshire Post reported region-wide fears that without further investment from the Government to keep bus services going while they remain commercially unviable, many local services may be "unsustainable".

In August, emergency government funding of £218.4 million to support bus routes was granted for eight weeks, with rolling funding at up to £27.3 million per week afterwards, until a time when the funding is no longer needed.

But Kim Groves, who chairs the West Yorkshire Combined Authority's transport committee, said the funding was a "sticking plaster" and a longer-term solution was needed to stop many local bus services becoming unsustainable.

In North Yorkshire, with passenger numbers not expected to return to pre-pandemic levels for years, it is feared that "some commercial services that were only marginally profitable will become unprofitable and will therefore be terminated or curtailed in some way".

Three public meetings, organised by the TUC, will be held with council leaders in West Yorkshire on October 15, South Yorkshire on October 19 and North Yorkshire & York the same day.

The union body’s analysis of government data shows that the region has lost 17.5 million miles of bus route since 2014. North Yorkshire was worst affected, with 5.3 million miles lost since 2014.

It is calling for the current privatised bus system to be taken into public hands, with elected metro mayors given powers to set fares and routes as happens in London.

Gareth Lewis of the TUC said: "Our bus system is in crisis. Buses in Yorkshire should be run to serve our community, not for the benefit of private operators. But right now we face a funding cliff edge, with hundreds of services at risk.

"Right now, public money goes straight from government to private operators, with local councils having little say over routes, timetables, or services. We need that money to come directly to councils, so decisions about bus services can be made closer to those it affects.’

"People need to get to work. But as we face a crisis of mass unemployment, the government is pulling the rug out from under people’s feet. Cutting services will be catastrophic to people’s life chances.

"The number of emails sent in response to our day of action demonstrates how worried local people are about losing their bus route.

"The government needs to fully fund services, including infrequent and socially necessary routes. We cannot let the poorest pay the price for a failing system.

"Public control is the only way to ensure that decisions about bus services are made by local people, for local people."

Back in August, Transport Minister Baroness Vere said: “I know how crucial buses are to Yorkshire communities, providing key links to work, school, shops and family and friends, and remaining a vital route for workers during the pandemic.

"And to ensure these critical routes are supported, we have just provided an additional minimum of £218.4 million in emergency funding to bus services – taking the total during the pandemic to over £600 million. This will enable operators to ramp up services in preparation for an expected increase in public transport in September, so people can travel safely."