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 it would consider introducing a statutory requirement on local authorities to provide services deemed socially or economically necessary and look again at the ban on new municipal bus companies. Two years on, none of these things have happened and the...

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 it would consider introducing a statutory requirement on local authorities to provide services deemed socially or economically necessary and look again at the ban on new municipal bus companies. Two years on, none of these things have happened and the long-term security of many bus routes that are vital for communities remains uncertain. The Minister told us to expect announcements in late 2022, but w Type: recommendation | Number: 8 | Response status: not_addressed Government response: The Government accepts the committee’s recommendations on franchising and municipal bus companies, and partially accepts the recommendation on Socially and Economically Necessary services (SENS). We plan to publish new guidance on socially and economically nec