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The government has confirmed it will provide £150 million of support to bus and tram operators nationwide that are continuing to face a financial shortfall as passenger numbers are yet to recover after the coronavirus pandemic.
The funding package, announced to be the last package of Covid-19 related support available to public transport operators, will run for six months until October 2022, to support local authorities and transport companies to adjust to how the pandemic has changed travel habits.
Bus services in Greater Manchester along with the Metrolink tram network are among those who will benefit from the scheme. Last month, the Greater Manchester Transport Committee issued a statement, warning that up to a third of bus services in the city-region could be reduced, with 30 at risk of being lost, without additional funding from government.
However, the funding on offer is unlikely to go far enough in Greater Manchester to completely safeguard services: the same statement confirmed that buses in the city-region faced a £30 million shortfall by the end of 2022, and trams a further £40 million. The transport sector has also been hit by rising costs due to energy prices.
This week also sees Stagecoach, one of Stockport’s main bus operators, increase its fares from 6th March on single journeys by 10 pence, and on daily tickets by 30 pence after keeping prices fixed over the last two years. Rail passengers will also see costs rise by 3.8% on ticket prices set by the Department for Transport, including peak-time and Season tickets.
The shift to home-based and flexible working arrangements brought about by the pandemic, as well as general advice to avoid using buses, trams and trains where possible to keep them safer for those with no other alternative, has seen passenger numbers struggle to recover after lockdown, and remain below pre-pandemic figures.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:
“The funding I’ve announced today will ensure millions of us can continue to use vital public transport services, and brings the total we’ve provided to the sector to keep services running throughout the pandemic to over £2 billion.
“Not only that, as we look ahead and continue our work to overhaul services and build back better from the pandemic, this funding will also help authorities and operators work together to provide even better services for people right across the country.”
Graham Vidler, Chief Executive of the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) said:
“This welcome funding will help operators have the certainty they need to run an extensive network of services over the coming months as we all adjust to life after the pandemic.
“In the longer term the bus network will need to adapt to meet passengers’ new travel patterns. Over the coming months operators will be working closely with local authorities to plan future bus networks and introduce plans to grow passenger numbers. To aid these local efforts we look forward to working with the Government to loudly promote bus travel.”