'No funding from Government - Liberal Democrats are calling on Medway Council to protect our local bus services'

Medway Liberal Democrats strongly believe that local bus services are vital to the wellbeing of local residents in Medway. Bus services are a lifeline for many local people. For some, the bus is the only means to travel to work, school, appointments, shops and to meet friends and family.

John Castle, chair of Medway Liberal Democrats said, "We are calling on the Council to re-affirm its commitment to protecting and improving our local bus services. There has been a decline in bus service provision in England over the past decade - which has seen nearly 5000 bus routes lost nationwide and a 27% reduction in the number of bus journeys taken.

In October 2021 Medway Council, alongside all other Local Transport Authorities, submitted a funding bid for a 'Bus Service Improvement Plan' to improve and protect local bus services. Despite encouraging all Councils to bid, and receiving costs bids that totalled £10 billion, the Government only made £1 billion of funding available. Much more had been promised. Because of the Government's broken promises our area received no funding at all."

We are urging the Council's Chief Executive to write to the Secretary of State for Transport to call on the Government to:

• Make the full £10 billion funding, required to implement each Local Authorities transport plans, available by re-allocating at least one-fifth of the £27 billion Roads Investment Budget to public transport investment.

• Move away from the competitive funding model for public transport improvement grants and instead provide the full funding required for all Council areas to receive the grants they need to transform and protect bus services.

• Dedicate a greater proportion of grant funding to revenue support - so funds can directly boost service provision and address fare prices and affordability.

• The list of Councils that received no funding can be found here.

• The list of Council's that did receive funding, and the shortfall between that and amount they bid for, can be found in this document from the Campaign for Better Transport.

ENDS