Recommendation 21

Local transport authorities have had to scale back their transport planning and delivery capacity to focus on statutory functions such as social care. Further devolution and moves to franchising will considerably increase pressure on their capacity and capability to deliver bus services, which is already under strain: 46% of local transport authorities self-assessed their capacity to deliver local transport as very or fairly poor.49 We asked the 41 Qq 4, 50-52, 62 42 Qq 53-56 43 Qq 4, 56, 60 44 Q 53 45 Qq 59-60 46 Qq 11, 33, 59-60 47 Q 5 48 Q3; C&AG’s report, Figure 5 49 C&AG’s report, paras 3.8-3.9 14 Department how it is supporting local transport authorities in light of these constraints. It told us it is providing funding to ensure at least one transport officer can be employed in each local area.50 The Department also said that the longer-term funding certainty provided by the spending review should give local transport authorities confidence to invest in capacity and skills.51