Source · Select Committees · Transport Committee
Fourth Report - Implementation of the National Bus Strategy
Transport Committee
HC 161
Published 30 March 2023
Recommendations
8
Accepted in Part
The Government made various commitments in the National Bus Strategy that we welcomed, as did...
Recommendation
The Government made various commitments in the National Bus Strategy that we welcomed, as did many in the bus sector. It said it would provide new guidance on socially and economically necessary services and on bus franchising. It also suggested …
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Government Response Summary
The Government plans to publish new guidance on SENS during this Parliament and will consider statutorily requiring the provision of socially and economically necessary bus services if objectives are not achieved by agreement; revised franchising guidance will be published as soon as possible, and a Call for Evidence will be published during this Parliament into whether local authorities should be allowed to set up new municipal bus companies.
Department for Transport
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13
Accepted in Part
Para 104
The Government should set out a clear, staged plan for the full transition to zero-...
Recommendation
The Government should set out a clear, staged plan for the full transition to zero- emission buses, in tandem with the delayed response to its consultation on ending the sale of non-zero-emission buses. This should include a clear long-term funding …
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Government Response Summary
The government will announce an end date for the sale of new non-zero emission buses and publish the consultation response; it will also set out the UK’s roadmap to achieving an entirely ZEB fleet, but it rejects further consideration of synthetic fuels for buses.
Department for Transport
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14
Accepted in Part
Para 109
Reforming the Bus Services Operators Grant will be complicated and may prove controversial, but it...
Recommendation
Reforming the Bus Services Operators Grant will be complicated and may prove controversial, but it is necessary. Successive Governments have accepted that, and promised to act, but little progress has been made. Further delay risks slowing the transition to zero-emission …
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Government Response Summary
The government has introduced a 22p per km rate for ZEBs through BSOG and is working on proposals for a consultation on reforming the Bus Service Operator Grant (BSOG) to modernize and future-proof the grant; the consultation will include a proposal on changes to the payment metric and explore mechanisms to support ZEB uptake but it cannot confirm the exact content of the reformed BSOG until the evidence gathered through responses to the consultation has been analysed.
Department for Transport
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15
Accepted in Part
The Government must consult on Bus Services Operators Grant reform now and proceed as quickly...
Recommendation
The Government must consult on Bus Services Operators Grant reform now and proceed as quickly as is feasible to introduce a new funding formula which incentivises operators to transition to zero-emission buses. (Paragraph 110) Conclusion
Government Response Summary
The government has introduced a 22p per km rate for ZEBs through BSOG and is working on proposals for a consultation on reforming the Bus Service Operator Grant (BSOG) to modernize and future-proof the grant; the consultation will include a proposal on changes to the payment metric and explore mechanisms to support ZEB uptake but it cannot confirm the exact content of the reformed BSOG until the evidence gathered through responses to the consultation has been analysed.
Department for Transport
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Conclusions (4)
9
Conclusion
Accepted in Part
Para 87
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 …
Government Response Summary
The government partially accepts the recommendation, noting it consulted on an end date for non-zero emission buses in Spring 2022 and will shortly make an announcement, including the UK’s roadmap to achieving an entirely ZEB fleet but does not at present agree with government investment or consideration of synthetic fuels for buses.
10
Conclusion
Accepted in Part
Para 101
We support the Government’s ambition to have 4,000 new zero-emission buses on the road in the UK by the end of this Parliament and welcome the funding it has allocated to meet this aim. However, it seems increasingly unlikely it will meet its target, given how few of these vehicles …
Government Response Summary
The government will announce an end date for the sale of new non-zero emission buses and publish the consultation response; it will also set out the UK’s roadmap to achieving an entirely ZEB fleet, and outlines existing funding and schemes for ZEBs, but does not directly address incentivizing UK ZEB orders over overseas orders.
11
Conclusion
Accepted in Part
Para 102
If the Government is to meet its target it will need to intervene in the process more actively. We note that Scotland’s scheme in which operators bid for funding centrally, thereby cutting out the middleman, has allowed Scotland to power ahead with its 42 Implementation of the National Bus Strategy …
Government Response Summary
The government will announce an end date for the sale of new non-zero emission buses and publish the consultation response; it will also set out the UK’s roadmap to achieving an entirely ZEB fleet, and outlines existing funding and schemes for ZEBs, but does not directly address Scotland's scheme.
12
Conclusion
Accepted in Part
Para 103
We are not convinced by the Government’s argument that incentivising the purchase of a zero-emission buses will no longer be necessary once their lifetime cost decreases to that of comparable diesel buses. The up-front cost of ZEBs will remain higher, especially when the cost of upgrading and replacing infrastructure is …
Government Response Summary
The government will announce an end date for the sale of new non-zero emission buses, publish the consultation response, and set out the UK's roadmap to achieving an entirely ZEB fleet; they also highlight the funding already awarded for ZEBs. However, they did not specifically address the concern about upfront costs and infrastructure.