A bus problem 40 years in the making will remain unless more funding is provided, councillors have said.
Last night, members of West Suffolk’s overview and scrutiny committee met to review the state of rural buses across the district.
The review was called by Cllr Andrew Smith, following an announcement from Simonds Buses that routes serving several villages between Diss and Bury St Edmunds would be axed for being financially unsustainable.
A bus problem 40 years in the making will remain unless more funding is provided, councillors have said. Picture: iStock
Although these routes have since been rescued by the county council after the Save Our Buses group won a £147,000 bid, Cllr Smith said it revealed a much wider problem with a ‘profound human cost’.
He added: “This is a moment of truth — our actions and level of support will be judged by how effectively we are prepared to respond.
“Today must mark the beginning of a sustained focus on this issue, not its conclusion.
Cllr Andrew Smith said lacking bus services presented a profound human cost. Picture: West Suffolk Council
“Let us seize this opportunity to make meaningful progress on an issue that directly affects the livelihoods and well-being of our rural residents.”
Councillors heard from Simon Barnett, the county council’s integrated transport and enhanced partnership manager, who said bus challenges stemmed back to the 1985 Transport Act, which replaced the obligation on local authorities to co-ordinate public passenger transport with a power to subsidise services.
On top of this, the amount the county council received from the Government to help with public transport, he stressed, was nowhere near enough to cover the need across the county.
Cllr Chris Chambers said Government funding was minor compared to the whole cost of operations. Picture: Suffolk County Council
He said: “The impact of Government funding is minor compared to the whole cost of operations — I would love to fill in the gaps where I can but it costs money and I haven’t got a lot.”
Cllr Chris Chambers, the county’s lead for public transport, added: “We’re talking about an ever-increasing demand on our services with an ever-decreasing budget.
“It’s very difficult to maintain the network with very little funds, you’re always fighting the tide of trying to plug gaps and maintain the expectations of local residents versus what you can actually afford.”
Indy Wijenayaka, cabinet member for growth at West Suffolk Council said he was open to conversations with bus providers. Picture: Mecha Morton
A report presented to councillors stated large parts of the county were left with no scheduled services, with the impact being felt the most in rural areas, as would have been the case in Bardwell if a bid had not been secured.
Cllr Tony Brown, from Haverhill, was one of several members sharing bus problems in their wards.
He said the unreliability of services led to ‘children being left abandoned’ in Bury St Edmunds and youngsters put off from going to college.
Cllr Don Waldron, representing The Rows, said problems were just as bad on his side of the A11.
After two hours, councillors came up with five recommendations to be presented at the next West Suffolk cabinet meeting, on February 04.
These included asking Cllr Indy Wijenayaka, the council’s lead for growth, to set up a cross-party steering group with bus providers to investigate how the council might help reduce service overhead costs, work with local MPs to lobby the Government and use parish forums to gather data and look for funding options.
Cllr Wijenayaka, who was present during the meeting, said: “I’m open to conversing with all our bus providers to make sure it’s not just about the services but about how to support them as a business.
“We are happy to work with all our stakeholders to lobby and campaign on behalf of our residents to make sure they can thrive and do our moral duty.”
Addressing specific concerns raised by Stevensons, which described Bury St Edmund’s bus station as an ’embarrassing welcome’ to the town, Cllr Wijenayaka will work with operators to improve bus stations across the district.
Pending approval during the February cabinet meeting, he will also be invited to future county council meetings regarding public transport in West Suffolk.