The top priorities for buses funded by the taxpayer include routes from areas with fewer jobs to areas with modern, high-quality jobs; rural places getting a service to connect them with key routes and areas; and buses for younger and elderly residents to access places like colleges and social activities: that’s according to the 40-strong West of England Citizens’ Bus Panel.
The members chosen by an independent organisation - to be representative of the whole region - met over two days. They were tasked with drafting recommendations for funding buses in the region which people value, but make a loss and so can’t run without subsidy from the taxpayer.
Residents discussed and debated funding priorities before ranking them using a three-tier “Gold”, “Silver” and “Bronze” system. Residents also highlighted routes for nightshift workers as important buses to run.
Their recommendations will now be fed back to experts to create a transparent formula that the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority, led by Mayor Norris, will propose to use for future decisions on funding buses, in what Mr Norris has described as a “new way of doing politics” in the West of England.
Dan Norris, West of England Mayor, said: “A huge thank you to the West of England Citizens’ Bus Panel for making Big Choices on taxpayer-supported buses.
“I was really encouraged by how people came with an open mind. Thank you to the Panel for the hard work everyone put in.
“We now have a bus funding roadmap. It’s quite simply a new way of doing politics in the West of England region.
“That’s what this Citizens’ Panel has all been about."
Residents’ council tax funds loss-making buses. Councils in the West of England raise money from residents and then provide a sum known as the “Transport levy” to the Mayoral Combined Authority.
Rapid inflation, driver wages, and maintenance expenses, while the amount of money earmarked by councils to fund buses has been frozen, means the available funding no longer goes as far.
Council funding to pay for buses in the West of England is set to be frozen again in 2024.
