“With the number of bus journeys at the lowest level in over a decade, a national bus strategy is an important step towards improving local bus services. While the £220 million earmarked to improve bus services will help, for it to succeed, it has to be backed by ongoing financial support to local areas.
“Councils face a £652 million funding gap in providing the concessionary bus fare scheme, which is putting nearly half of all bus routes at risk. It is vital this scheme is properly funded so councils can protect bus routes and reinvest in local networks.
“The Government spends 43 times per mile more on maintaining our national roads – which make up just 3 per cent of all roads – than on local roads, which are controlled by councils and make up 97 per cent of England’s road network.
“With councils facing a £9 billion local roads repair backlog, we also need to see the government investment in national roads announced today matched by at least the same investment in local roads, if we are to make the long-term improvements our country’s road networks desperately need.”