Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to encourage passengers back onto local bus services in Darlington.

The Government’s National Bus Strategy explains how we will make buses more frequent, more reliable, easier to understand and use, better co-ordinated and cheaper. Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs) are required to include targets for passenger growth and customer satisfaction. Tees Valley’s BSIP, which covers Darlington, has been received by the Department and is being reviewed.

The Government has provided essential support to the bus industry throughout the pandemic to keep services running and is committed to seeing the bus sector return to financial sustainability. However, we recognise the ongoing challenges faced by operators and Local Transport Authorities to maintain services. The Department is working with the sector to understand how these might impact services after Covid recovery funding ends and what further action might be needed.