We have extensive bus routes in Crawley with a good and regular service. The pandemic changed a lot of things, with one thing being that we haven’t yet seen bus patronage return to pre-pandemic levels. We have also since seen a shortage of drivers which has caused some cancellations, but I am aware that Metrobus are working hard to try and address this, with people from all walks of life coming forward to train as bus drivers.
As an occasional bus user, as well as being keen to see higher usage, I was pleased to hear the government announcement last week of the £2 winter price cap for single local bus journeys. The Transport Secretary has announced a £60 million fund that will be used from January to March next year, that will cap all local bus journeys at £2. Other than for short journeys that cost £1.70, the current price for paying bus travel in Crawley is £2.70. Having 70p off this equates to a discount of over 25%.
The new year can be a difficult time financially, so anything that can help to save a few pounds is always going to be welcome. The winter is also a time when taking a long walk or cycling can be less appealing due to weather and darkness, so making bus rides more affordable can help to increase passenger numbers, as well as potentially trying a bus service for the first time for some. Increasing bus travel has a positive effect on road congestion which helps all road users, with this scheme estimated to be taking two million car journeys off the road.
You may ask why wait until January and why not earlier? That would be a fair question to which the answer is that doing it from January enables the government to work with the bus operators and local authorities to implement a scheme that most effectively delivers real savings for passengers. The government are hoping all bus operators will participate and it’s worth noting that nationally, operators representing about 90% of the market have expressed support so far.
Councillor Duncan Crow, Leader of Crawley Borough Council Conservative Group
7th September 2022
