A tenth of bus services have been axed over past year leaving vulnerable people struggling to access healthcare or shops, analysis shows

• Live registered bus services fell 9.5 per cent between January 2022 and 2023
• It means people in Sheffield, Bath and more have missed important meetings
• The Government’s post-pandemic bus recovery grant will run out in April

Almost one in ten bus services in Britain were axed last year, figures reveal.

An analysis of the Traffic Commissioners’ data found live registered bus services fell 9.5 per cent between January 2022 and 2023.

Cancellations to services or infrequently serviced bus routes have forced people in areas such as Sheffield, Bath, Lincoln or Stoke-on-Trent to abandon medical appointments and jobs.

A decline in local services is severely affecting elderly customers in rural areas, who said they are trapped at home, unable to access healthcare or shops, and have given up socialising, the Guardian reported.

Almost one in ten bus services in Britain were axed last year, figures reveal (file image)

Department for Transport figures show the number of miles driven by local buses in England have fallen 27 per cent over ten years.

The Government’s bus recovery grant, an England-wide subsidy aimed at helping local bus services recover from the pandemic, will run out in April.

But the Department for Transport is reportedly reconsidering long-term support for the sector.

An analysis of the Traffic Commissioners’ data found live registered bus services fell 9.5 per cent between January 2022 and 2023 (file image)

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