Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support is being provided to local authorities to help with the funding and provision of rural bus services.

The Government recognises the importance of transport for rural areas and is committed to improving access to services that provide vital connectivity.

To support local bus services in England outside London, £200 million of Bus Services Operator’s Grant (BSOG) has been paid by the Department directly to operators so far during the pandemic. £43 million of BSOG is committed directly to local transport authorities (LTAs) so that they can subsidise socially necessary bus services, of which Hertfordshire County Council received £1,211,630 in the 2020-21 funding period.

On top of this, to improve current bus services, or restore lost services where needed, the Government has paid an extra £30 million to LTAs in 2020/21. Hertfordshire County Council met the funding requirements and received an allocation of £401,174.

Additionally, in March 2021 we awarded funding to 17 pilot projects through the £20 million Rural Mobility Fund scheme to trial innovative, demand-responsive solutions to transport challenges that rural and suburban areas often face.