Redesigning Rural Bus Networks - Can Franchising Work in Rural Areas?

Rural bus services - with notable exceptions - are patchy, infrequent and indirect. Among the consequences of this is that people in rural areas are very car-dependent and those without cars are unable to travel independently. The impacts are often felt in towns and cities. Congestion is generated not in urban centres but on the periphery.

The Buses Bill is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reform the bus network for all, to provide better services for rural areas and more efficient public transport in our great cities.
At the same time, the Transport Committee is examining the role of bus services in connecting rural communities with nearby towns and suburban areas. The inquiry will evaluate the effectiveness of recent Government policy in tackling the decline in bus services. It will explore the social and economic consequences of poor connectivity and consider whether innovations in alternative service models could provide solutions.

This webinar will present evidence which will be submitted to the Transport Committee, and some ways of thinking about the design of rural services that will be enabled by the Buses Bill.