Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of bus services in England since 2019.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in significant reductions to bus service levels and passenger numbers. To mitigate the impacts of the pandemic the Government has provided nearly £2 billion in emergency and recovery funding to bus operators and local transport authorities to keep vital bus services running. As a result of this support, bus services in England in 2020/21 ran at over 80% of pre-COVID levels, even though patronage and commercial fare revenue dropped significantly.

The Government is taking proactive steps to help increase patronage by providing £60 million to help bus operators cap single fares at £2 on services in England outside London from 1 January to 31 March 2023. Over 130 operators covering more than 4,600 routes are participating in the scheme, which will help increase patronage on buses and help millions save on their regular travel costs.