Top Parliament Committee launches bus inquiry

The cross-party Committee will examine what has worked and what’s gone wrong on the buses in recent years and present their findings and recommendations to the Government who will be compelled to respond.

Data shows passenger journeys on local bus services have declined in many regions since 2010. Ms Mayer who is a key member of the committee has urged passengers and bus operators across the region to share their experiences with the committee.

The inquiry comes after the Government announced £2.8 million to improve buses across Central Bedfordshire.

Ms Mayer said: “Sometimes there seems to be more talk of trains than buses in Parliament and I want to change that. Because actually more journeys are taken every day by bus.

“So we need to hear what’s worked well and what’s not so good. And what could we do in the future? Maybe you back minibuses getting people in more remote areas onto a bigger bus route? Can we use technology better? How much are you willing to pay? And how can we ensure the investment the Government has put in is being spent wisely and well. This will form the basis for a set of recommendations to ministers on how we can work towards having more sustainable public transport connecting places right across the country.”