Does more funding mean countryside buses are coming back into business?


Wiltshire Connect is a demand responsive service - one of the ways some councils are tackling a lack of transport in rural areas

Council-funded rural buses described as a "lifeline" by some are enjoying a resurgence after years of decline and new laws are giving authorities more power. Does this mean buses are back in business?

Government data shows council support for local buses is rising. With the exception of London, 17% of bus miles travelled across England were supported financially by government.

That's down from almost a quarter in 2010, with bigger drops in rural areas, but it is up from a pre-pandemic low of 13% in 2019-20.

However, fewer of us have been catching the bus.  Journeys per person in England stood at 88 in 2010 and that number was down to 63 by 2024-25.  Numbers dropped sharply during the pandemic and a recent rise has not returned them to pre-Covid levels.

Figures for 2024-25 show the councils providing the most support to their bus networks tended to be in rural areas.

The charity Bus Users UK described supported bus services as "fundamental to social inclusion" and "a lifeline, not a choice" for many.  "Without them, people can become isolated and less able to participate fully in their communities," a spokesperson said.

Wiltshire is one of those rural areas.  The council is one of those across the country attempting to tackle this using DRT - demand responsive transport.

(BBC article continues, with more detail and interactive option)

Is it something that has to be said/understood these days, I wonder.
No, volunteers are not connected with or to the railway, so don't have that (insider?) knowledge.
That said, could it come down to a traveller looking for compensation because train connections fell apart during disruption? "The person on the platform told me........"

Hmm.  The Limit of Liability is already putting me off before I ask anything else 

1P10 0523 Hereford to London Paddington cancelled due to the emergency alarm having been called (VH)

**snip** and the headroom has been increased by six inches. **snip**

The Flying Scotsman

There *was* a steam engine coming though.  I hadn't known about that ahead of time, but got a clue from platform ends decorated with enthusiasts as we arrived.  Apparently quite a famous loco, but I didn't stop around to see. 

Paddle Steamer Preservation Society - special outing from Southampton on Saturday
https://paddlesteamers.org

PSPS?

Let's just say "moderator team aware" of this thread.   

.....seems to be an awful lot of these happening at the moment.......

What has happened?
-
A person has been struck by a train, leading to all lines being blocked. It is necessary to bring all trains in the affected area to an immediate stop.

Young people aren't snowflakes - mental distress is rising, says head of official review

Accusations that the young are a snowflake generation are wrong, the head of an independent review into mental health, ADHD and autism has told the BBC.

Prof Peter Fonagy said in an exclusive interview that there had been a real rise in mental distress among children and young people, with anxiety, depression, self-harm and eating disorders the most common.

He said it was "harder to be young" now given the economic and employment uncertainty young people face, coupled with the challenges presented by social media.

Strange at it might seem, UK-born are far more likely to be rapists. Now let's keep right-wing politics OFF this board please?