BUS LAW ACT MUST STEM DECLINE OF INDUSTRY

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: nov/dec 2025 :: RMTnews 9 RMT has welcomed the introduction of the Bus Services Act as a step towards stemming the decline of the industry but called for further action. The Bus Services Bill was introduced in recognition of the continuing decline of the sector following decades of privatisation, deregulation and disinvestment. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said that privatisation had been disastrous for national bus networks, leaving communities poorly served. “We welcome some elements of this legislation such as the removal of the ideological ban on new municipal bus companies. “However, we are concerned that the provision of decent bus services could continue to be a postcode lottery. “The government clearly needs to go much further to deliver a national plan for high quality properly funded bus services which put passengers before profits. “It is also regrettable that the government has ignored previous recommendations of the transport select committee to put in place national arrangements that would have increased protections for the jobs and safety for bus workers and improved services to passengers,” he said. Buses remain the most used form of public transport across England, but around 300 million fewer miles were driven by bus services in England in 2024 compared to 2010, with passengers suffering from sudden route cuts and a lack of accountability. Over 5,000 bus routes have been lost since 2010 and the number of bus workers has reduced by nearly 20,000, nearly a quarter of the entire workforce. Transport committee chair Ruth Cadbury MP said that the government’s approach lacked ambition particularly to improving services in rural and underserved communities. “A number of our recommendations regarding the DfT’s role in helping local areas to up their game have been misunderstood. Meanwhile, its plans for ‘socially necessary routes’, which by their nature are commercially unviable, are in danger of being left without enough funding to be effectively implemented. “Throughout our inquiry we heard about the consequences of poor connectivity. Young people unable to get their first jobs or taking exhausting journeys to reach school or college. Older and disabled people feeling isolated and depressed, and high streets starved of customers. “Any serious attempt to revive services and make public transport equitable across the country will need new funding. And yet the most targeted proposals for how to provide funding where it would make the most difference are shrugged off with a suggestion that no decision will likely come before the next Spending Review – not for another three years. “The Bus Services Act is a positive and necessary start to the work of reviving bus services, but it cannot be the last word. Local authorities need more opportunity, funding and incentives to grow their networks and passenger numbers,” she said. However, the government said that passengers would benefit from more reliable and dependable journeys as part of its national ‘Plan for Change’. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said that the Act would make it easier for local leaders to take control of buses and put passengers first, improving access to jobs, education and tourism opportunities which were all vital to growing the economy. A government statement said that it would end the risk of routes being scrapped at short notice by tightening the requirements for cancelling vital routes. The Act also includes plans to mandate staff, including drivers and those based at bus stations, to undertake training to recognise and handle incidents of anti-social behaviour and crime, including violence against women and girls. BUS LAW MUST STEM DECLINE OF INDUSTRY New law lifts ideological ban on local authorities running services