Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 23
23
Accepted
Department lacks insightful analysis explaining disparities in bus service performance across areas.
Recommendation
The Department’s focus, in what it told us, was on the best-performing local transport authorities around the country. This was at odds with experience in our constituencies, sometimes even in neighbouring counties.54 We questioned why there was such disparity in bus service performance in areas with otherwise similar characteristics. The Department could describe what happened in successful areas but could not provide insightful analysis across the country on what factors enabled good performance.55 The Department acknowledged that it needs to get better at enabling local transport authorities and operators to share best practice.56 Ensuring accessibility
Government Response Summary
The government agreed to explain how it will make sure its support is targeted to the skills local transport authorities most need and identify and share, through the Bus Centre of Excellence, best practice that is tailored for areas with similar characteristics by Spring 2027.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
5. PAC conclusion: The department could do much more to support local transport authorities with the skills they need and to help them apply relevant good practice. 5a. PAC recommendation: The department should explain how it will make sure its support is targeted to the skills local transport authorities most need. 5b. PAC recommendation: The department should identify and share, through the Bus Centre of Excellence, best practice that is tailored for areas with similar characteristics. 5.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendations. Target implementation date: Spring 2027 5.2 To strengthen its approach to identifying and sharing best practice, the department is developing an enhanced role for Transport Focus to monitor bus service performance and outcomes across England using a consistent outcomes framework. This will enable systematic identification of high-performing services and effective practices. Transport Focus will work closely with the Bus Centre of Excellence to ensure these insights inform capability-building activities, training content, and peer learning networks, creating a continuous improvement 6 cycle that helps local transport authorities learn from success and make tangible improvements for bus passengers. Work is ongoing to finalise implementation dates in consultation with Transport Focus, but to be completed within the next Spending Review. 5.3 The department is working with the Bus Centre of Excellence (BCoE) to ensure that BCoE activities and initiatives build capability and strengthen capacity across the bus sector and promote the vital role that high-quality bus services play in an integrated, inclusive, net- zero transport system. The department plan to significantly expand the role of BCoE, supported by a substantial funding uplift over the Spending Review period. This will enable BCoE to identify, develop, and share best practice tailored to what works most effectively for individual local transport authorities. The department have conducted a survey of local transport authorities to identify capability needs, and the department will use this combined with data from the outcomes framework and delivery reporting to identify where support is most needed.