Buses have ticket to ride out budget cuts

OLDHAM’S largest bus operator believes the industry is facing the greatest financial challenge in generations.

First Bus and the Transport Select Committee have hit out at local authority budget cuts which are set to go deeper.

The extensive cuts to rural bus services are a threat to the vulnerable, MPs warn. To avoid routes being closed, fares increased earlier this year.

Transport for Greater Manchester, which runs public transport in Oldham, announced cost savings of more than £40million over the next three years — seeing concessionary bus fares rise from 80p to half the normal adult fare.

MP Louise Ellman, chairman of the cross-party Transport Select Committee, revealed over 70 per cent of local authorities have moved rapidly to reduce funding for supported bus services, forcing most operators to withdraw services or push up fares.

The chairman said: “For the most part it is rural, evening and Sunday services that are most affected.”

First supports a call from the committee for a more flexible approach to minimise the effects of the cuts.

A spokesman said: “The bus industry is having to adjust to the greatest financial challenge it has faced in generations.”

TfGM’s bus and rail director Michael Renshaw claims the changes in concessionary fares will ensure protection to subsidised bus services. These are services — such as dedicated school buses and demand-responsive services such as Local Link.

In a statement, Mr Renshaw said: “We need to ensure we are able to provide a subsidised bus service when this is essential and the changes we have made to concessionary fares should help us to do this.”