ATCO - Transport Professionals

ATCO Response to the Government Response to the House of Commons Transport Committee Report

ATCO welcomes engagement with Government and other organisations to help to improve conditions for the public transport network including the community sector. However, it is a concern that Government appears to be hiding behind the aims of localism and their lack of willingness to ringfence funding to avoid addressing the causes of pressures on transport services.

In particular, the Government response largely fails to recognise - let alone identify actions needed to alleviate - pressures resulting from the current "perfect storm" where virtually all revenue and cost factors in the bus industry are heading in the wrong direction. Familiarity with these issues - a concessionary travel scheme funding shortfall for many councils, the 2012 BSOG cut, ever-rising fuel costs, passenger revenue sluggish at best, reduced services due to the less-than-statutory nature of council bus support within falling budgets - should not lead to a failure to recognise these pressures and the need to act if there is a strong desire to avoid further cuts to bus services next year and in 2013. 

ATCO is pleased to be able to help provide strong evidence on the value of local passenger transport, not just in conventional bus services, but also in community based transport and rail. Unfortunately, there is a lack of evidence of the tremendous value that transport provides, not just in the journey itself, but by allowing people access to other opportunities for life, health and skills. Transport budgets subsidise health, economic development, social care and tourism and will play a big part in delivering growth, so it is important that policymakers across Government look at the evidence we gather, rather than DfT in isolation. Therefore it is vital to see a commitment to more joined-up Government that will view transport as not solely a transport budget issue, in order to avoid further cuts undermining these key policy areas as the Spending Review unfolds.

ENDS

Contact details

For further information please contact:
Bruce Thompson
ATCO Chair
Telephone: 01392 383244
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.