- Conference
- 2022 National Retired Members Conference
- Date
- 12 May 2022
- Decision
- Carried
In England the Bus Pass is available to those at or over state pension age or with some
severe health conditions. It gives its holders free travel throughout England on what are
defined as “Local bus services”, as a minimum between 09.30 and 23.00 on weekdays and at
all times at weekends and Bank Holidays. A local bus service is one where separate fares are
charged, passengers do not have to book and the distance between any succeeding stop is
not greater than 15 miles. This benefit is in theory funded by the Government. Individual Local
Transport Authorities (LTA’s), or Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCA’s) outside London can
increase the scope of the Bus Pass within their area, for example by including free travel on
trams or local trains, at their own expense.
In most of the country the basic pattern of bus services is largely defined by the bus
companies in consultation with the relevant LTA or MCA, and will depend on the commercial
viability of the network and the amount of financial support provided by the LTA’s or MCA’s.
Services are currently registered by the relevant Traffic Commissioner and outside London
can freely cross Local Authority boundaries. London has a different system. There the service
pattern is set by Transport for London (TfL) and franchised by area, with the bus companies
receiving a fee for running the services and Transport for London receiving the fare income.
Thus TfL can decide whether services originating in London can extend into neighbouring
areas. Services originating in such areas can enter London but must comply with TfL
requirements after crossing the boundary.
The Government has now published Bus Back Better; its comprehensive strategy for the
future of bus services in England. Although that document contains a commitment to funding
the Bus Pass for older and disabled people there is no commitment to its continuation in
offering universal free travel throughout England. By contrast the Government makes it clear
that their favoured approach to bus service provision is by franchising or by enhanced
partnerships through LTA’s or MCA’s. The Bus Services Act 2017 allows an MCA to adopt
franchising to provide a London style system. An LTA requires the Secretary of State’s
consent to do so. An Enhanced Partnership is a formal agreement between an Authority and
bus operators through which both agree to provide a specified level of service and
enhancements such as multi operator ticketing, marketing, livery and infrastructure
improvements to improve bus services in an area. Critically that also includes fares and
service frequency. Authorities are required to prepare Bus Service Improvement Plans and
face exclusion from some Government funding if they do not meet Government requirements.
If an Authority proceeds with either system there are a number of procedures it must
undertake. Amongst these is a requirement to consult neighbouring authorities to ensure that
what is proposed does not conflict with their own Bus Service Improvement Plans. This
process is now getting under way in many parts of England. However whatever the result
cross boundary bus services will require the authority initiating the franchise or enhanced
partnership to accommodate them if they are to continue and there are circumstances such
as the number of services allowed on a corridor, which might lead to permission being denied,
or have conditions applied which make the service unattractive. The concern is therefore that
if such practices become prevalent Bus Pass holders will eventually be largely restricted to
travel in their own area and the universality of the Bus Pass will be lost. This will be especially
damaging for people living in smaller towns and villages bordering the larger cities. For this to
be avoided the Government need to insert stronger wording in their Guidance emphasising
the need to maintain and if possible improve cross boundary bus services in consultation with
bus companies and neighbouring authorities. Even in London some cross boundary services
are now being withdrawn or curtailed.
Conference therefore calls on the National Retired Members Committee to liaise with the
NEC, the National Pensioners Convention, Age UK and other relevant organizations to press
the Government to amend Franchising Guidance to emphasise the need to maintain and if
possible improve cross boundary bus services in consultation with bus companies and
neighbouring authorities.