Increased fares and a £700m annual funding gap for the concessionary fares scheme are contributing to a decline in bus services, according to the Local Government Association.
New figures show that buses in England travelled a distance of 1.18bn miles in 2018/19 – down from 1.33bn in 2008/09.
The LGA has called on the government to use the forthcoming Budget to fully fund the concessionary fares scheme and hand councils full control over bus services.
LGA transport spokesman David Renard said: “The funding gap faced by councils in providing the concessionary fare scheme is severely impacting their ability to step in and prop up bus routes that are otherwise at risk of ending altogether.”
