1 Introduction
1. Passenger transport is fundamental
to the sustainability and independence of isolated communities,
because it provides people with access to public services, employment,
education and training. Isolated communities are found in both
urban and rural areas. They include disabled people, older people,
younger people, unemployed people and those on low incomes. As
the Department for Transport (DfT) acknowledged, "inadequate
transport provision is a very real concern and can be a barrier
to the prosperity of all those living in such areas."[1]
The provision of passenger transport to isolated communities facilitates
social inclusion and allows people to access vital services provided
by the Department of Health, the Department for Education and
the Department for Work and Pensions.
2. Commercial operators often struggle
to run passenger transport services in isolated communities where
demand is thin or diffuse.[2]
Local authorities therefore subsidise passenger transport in isolated
communities according to local circumstances and priorities.[3]
Those subsidies have decreased in the past four years as part
of a wider squeeze by central Government on public spending.[4]
The combined effect on service provision of the 28% reduction
in local authority revenue spending from 2011-12 and of the 20%
reduction in the Bus Services Operator Grant from 2012-13 provided
the background to this inquiry.[5]
3. The DfT is ultimately responsible
for passenger transport in isolated communities, because it determines
the level of subsidy to local government; it has the capacity
to define and consequently support 'isolated communities'; and
it decides which vulnerable groups are provided with concessionary
transport services. The Minister of State, Transport, Baroness
Kramer of Richmond Park told us that "local authorities themselves
that are best placed to decide what support to provide, in response
to local views and need, and in the light of their overall funding
priorities."[6]
We agree that local authorities are best placed to determine priorities
in their local areas, but we do not ignore the impact of decreased
funding on services following the Spending Review 2010.
Inquiry
4. This inquiry considered how passenger
transport is provided in isolated communities in England.[7]
It began with a call for evidence seeking views on the following
questions:
- How do Government and local authorities
identify demand for passenger transport in isolated communities?
- To what extent are the needs
of different groups of passengers—for example, people with
disabilities, older people and young people—taken into account
in determining the provision of public transport to isolated communities?
- What are the main challenges
associated with providing better and more consistent bus and rail
services to isolated communities? How can these challenges be
overcome?
- How effectively do Community
Transport services address the needs of passengers in isolated
communities? How could Community Transport be improved?
- To what extent should passengers
in isolated communities be expected to rely on taxis and other
demand-responsive transport services?
- What are the main challenges
associated with funding transport services in isolated communities?
How can these services be made more affordable?
The call for evidence produced more
than 100 written responses from local authorities, transport providers,
representative groups, consultants and interested individuals.
We are grateful to everyone who took the time to submit evidence
to our inquiry.
- The first oral evidence session
took place on 13 January 2014, when we heard from campaigners,
representative groups and transport providers. The second and
final oral evidence session took place on 3 March 2014, when we
took evidence from local authority representative groups and Baroness
Kramer. At that session, we also considered the case study of
the Isles of Scilly (see paragraph 8). In addition, the Committee
visited Colne Valley to see one example how passenger transport
is delivered in practice to an isolated community (see Annex).
1 DfT (TIC 098) para 14 Back
2
DfT (TIC 098) para 15 Back
3
DfT (TIC 098) para 22 Back
4
DfT (TIC 098) para 17 Back
5
Transport Committee, Eighth Report of Session 2010-12, Bus services after the spending review,
HC 750, para 11 Back
6
Q175 Back
7
This Report addresses passenger transport in isolated communities
in England. In Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland, the respective
devolved Administrations, rather than the DfT, are primarily responsible
for policy and funding decisions in relation to passenger transport.
However, the Committee considered evidence from Northern Ireland,
Wales and Scotland in the course of its inquiry. Back
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