Bus companies have been handed a £167million bailout to keep vital services running during the coronavirus crisis.
Passenger numbers have plummeted since Boris Johnson ordered people to stay at home, with only “key workers” allowed to travel during the Covid-19 lockdown.
The huge drop in commuters has piled pressure on operators.
But ministers are desperate for buses to stay on the roads to ferry staff to shops, hospitals and other essential workplaces – and for people who need to travel to buy food.
Announcing the latest Government bailout, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “We have been very clear during the outbreak that the best way to stop the spread of the virus and protect the NHS is to stay at home if possible.
(Image: Birmingham Mail)
“Our buses are a lifeline for people who need to travel for work or to buy food – including our emergency services and NHS staff – and it’s absolutely vital we do all we can to keep the sector running.
“This multimillion-pound investment will protect crucial local transport links across England, bolstering the sector and minimising disruption for passengers in the long term.”
The Bus Services Support Grant will be paid over three months and comes on top of £200million already being poured into buses.
Some £30million which had been earmarked for new services will instead go to councils to maintain existing services – taking the total amount for buses to nearly £400million.
However, bus services were hammered during a decade of austerity.
Firms will be allowed to run half of their normal services, meaning passengers can maintain “social distancing” of at least two metres.
Confederation of Passenger Transport chief executive Graham Vidler said: “Bus operators of all sizes across the country are providing an essential service at a time of national emergency, and we thank the thousands of staff doing an incredible job to keep routes running.
“This funding is designed to plug the gap between the costs of running essential routes and revenue currently being received, and will help the country through the outbreak by allowing critical journeys to continue.”
