The House of Lords Built Environment Committee (BEC) expressed concerns that the end of pandemic support funding for bus services in March 2023, with forecast cuts of up to 20 per cent, could have a detrimental effect on the people who rely on public transport and risk triggering a downward spiral of reducing demand.
The post-pandemic demand for public transport still remains unpredictable and peak commuter traffic may have been permanently reduced. However, travel for leisure, at weekends and throughout the day has broadly recovered more quickly than commuter travel.
Decisions on funding beyond next March “are urgently needed”, the BEC said, as it called on the government to ensure high-quality bus services around the country.
The 'Public transport in towns and cities' report has proposed zonal ticketing systems in large towns and cities - similar to that already employed in London - that would make contactless ticketing easier to deliver.
It...