Select committee: Transport Committee
Conclusion 9
Fourth Report - Implementation of the National Bus Strategy
Published 30 Mar 2023
Paragraph 87
Addressed to Department for Transport
Transport Committee National bus strategy: one year on All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
We welcome the Government’s plans to phase out non-zero-emission buses. It will be expensive and, in the short-term at least, difficult on longer and more rural routes, but it is necessary. However, we note that decarbonising buses will only take the Government so far towards its objective. Wider transport decarbonisation will require it to achieve the aims of the Strategy by increasing bus usage and therefore achieve modal shift from the private car. This ultimately depends on provision of reliable, frequent services. A debate should be had about whether this would be supported by a Department for Transport target to reduce car usage in England by the end of the decade, such as those seen in Scotland and Wales.
From: Transport Committee, Fourth Report - Implementation of the National Bus Strategy (HC 161), paragraph 87, 30 March 2023
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 22 June 2023 (deadline 30 May 2023).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government's response welcomes the report and states that it is "absolutely committed to delivering the aims of the National Bus Strategy", with recommendations variously accepted, partially accepted or noted.
- On Enhanced Partnerships (Recommendation 2), it "accepts this recommendation" and says it is working with local transport authorities and operators "to monitor how well they are working".
- On guidance and municipal bus companies (Recommendation 3), it accepts the recommendations on franchising and municipal companies and partially accepts the one on socially and economically necessary services, planning to publish new guidance "during this Parliament".
- On zero-emission buses (Recommendation 4), it "partially accepts", says it will "shortly make an announcement on the end of sales date", and says it will "explore any future innovation with an open mind" on synthetic fuels.
- On Bus Service Operators Grant reform (Recommendation 5), it "partially accepts" and will publish a consultation "later this year", but says it "cannot confirm the exact content of the reformed BSOG" until evidence is analysed.