You’ll notice bus cuts when your neighbours lose their independence

Last Updated: February 17, 2016By

The Campaign for Better Transport has published alarming new research on cuts to subsided services, which often cover rural routes [Image: Alamy].

Is your bus service targeted?

Check the interactive map site to find out.

For five years colossal cuts to local bus services have decimated provision across much of Britain yet, despite the impact on people’s lives, the losses have failed to register in the same ways as cuts to other public services.At a time when almost nothing in local government has been left unscathed by the budget-slashing scythe you may wonder if cash being shaved from bus services matters. It does – immensely.

Every day millions of people rely on local buses to get to work, school, their GPs, supermarkets, and even to stave off isolation and loneliness. Research shows that for older and poorer people, as well as for those with disabilities, buses can be the difference between being able to get around and feeling trapped, especially in rural areas with few other options. Buses are critical to the economy of local communities too, ensuring people can get to or find employment, and can spend their money with local businesses.

But here we are with cuts to services already running into millions of pounds and another tranche on the horizon. The Campaign for Better Transport has published some alarming new research on cuts to supported bus services in England and Wales – those that receive funding from local authorities and often cover non-metropolitan or isolated routes.

Massive cuts of more than £27m are on the cards, and many isolated and rural areas will be left “with little or no bus services”. The campaigners have launched an interactive map to show exactly where the hatchet is falling.

Source: You’ll notice bus cuts when your neighbours lose their independence | Public Leaders Network | The Guardian

Join the Vox Political Facebook page.

If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!

Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(
but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:

Donate Button with Credit Cards

Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.

Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:

HWG PrintHWG eBook

The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:

SWAHTprint SWAHTeBook

latest video

news via inbox

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

No Comments

  1. casalealex February 17, 2016 at 12:16 pm - Reply

    TORIES DON’T CARE! AND THEY DON’T CARE THAT WE ALL KNOW THAT THEY DON’T CARE.

    • NMac February 17, 2016 at 2:40 pm - Reply

      Hear Hear

  2. casalealex February 17, 2016 at 12:19 pm - Reply

    When you are skinning the poor, you should leave some skin on to grow so that you can skin them again. Kruschev

  3. caravaggio12 February 17, 2016 at 12:31 pm - Reply

    I live in East Devon, I moved in just over 5 years ago. Since then my bus service has been decimated. I used to go up to my brother’s pub for a pint with friends on a Wednesday & gat the 9.15 bus home. The last bus now is just after 7pm. There is no bus into Exeter between 7.50 & 10.am in the morning. The X53, one of the most beautiful routes in the country has been decimated, & no longer runs on a Sunday! We are supposed to be a tourist destination. They are spending £4MILLION on a TOURIST CENTRE! I had friends down from Scotland, we went out for dinner on a Monday night, could not get a bus or Taxi home! Sidmouth which has a Theatre & a Cinema is 20 mins away, £30 taxi each way. We have no cinema, or entertainment locally, Since I moved here it feels as if one is marooned!!! By the way I always foloow your blogs! Keep up the good work!

  4. mohandeer February 17, 2016 at 2:07 pm - Reply

    So how are people supposed to get to work – sprout wings? What happens if you are jobless or disabled, how do you get to the Job Centre – or am I missing the point? ie. Sanctions work better when you impose unachievable goals?

  5. roybeiley February 17, 2016 at 2:38 pm - Reply

    Not to worry. No doubt Osborne has already agreed with his Chinese mates to flood the country with bikes made of their dodgy steel which they are already unable to sell at a good price. Got to keep the death rate up by hook or by crook

  6. Rupert Mitchell (@rupert_rrl) February 17, 2016 at 3:49 pm - Reply

    Why on earth would Cameron & Co be concerned about everyday decent working peoples’ loss of public transport services when they can be chauffeur driven around in luxury limousines at public expense? Give them a break Mike!

  7. David February 17, 2016 at 5:05 pm - Reply

    I can’t imagine how difficult rural bus routes are for people when they have been targeted in this way. In Sheffield, after a major reorganisation of bus routes we have fewer buses and our local service no longer connects with the main road back into town. Still, reorganisations like this are known to the bus companies as ‘enhancements’ where profits are enhanced as services are cut.

  8. amnesiaclinic February 17, 2016 at 6:54 pm - Reply

    Emptying the countryside so that only the ultra rich can afford to live there? The rest of us herded into the towns.

    • Mike Sivier February 19, 2016 at 12:48 pm - Reply

      They’re herding us OUT of many towns with high rental prices.
      I don’t think they know where they want us to go – other than away from them.

  9. Helen Jackson February 18, 2016 at 2:32 pm - Reply

    The government never tires of telling us all to save the planet and use public transport. They can’t seem to make the connection between people using public transport and actually making it available!

  10. Chris Collins February 21, 2016 at 2:59 am - Reply

    What happened to my post? It seems to have completely disappeared.

    • Mike Sivier February 21, 2016 at 1:57 pm - Reply

      I haven’t seen anything from you other than this query.

      • Chris Collins February 22, 2016 at 5:01 pm - Reply

        How strange. I shared it – if I commented on the share, would it not show up here?

        • Mike Sivier February 23, 2016 at 10:58 am - Reply

          I don’t think so.
          Where did you share it?

Leave A Comment