Are countryside buses coming back into business?
Rural bus services in England are seeing a resurgence in council funding after years of decline, though passenger numbers remain below pre-pandemic levels. Authorities are increasingly utilizing demand-responsive transport (DRT) to combat social isolation in remote areas.
Why it matters
Public transport is a critical lifeline for rural social inclusion, and the shift toward flexible, on-demand services represents a new model for regional infrastructure.
Image caption, Wiltshire Connect is a demand responsive service - one of the ways some councils are tackling a lack of transport in rural areas
Council-funded rural buses described as a "lifeline" by some are enjoying a resurgence after years of decline and new laws are giving authorities more power. Does this mean buses are back in business?
Government data shows council support for local buses is rising. With the exception of London, 17% of bus miles travelled across England were supported financially by government.
That's down from almost a quarter in 2010, with bigger drops in rural areas, but it is up from a pre-pandemic low of 13% in 2019-20.
However, fewer of us have been catching the bus.
Journeys per person in England stood at 88 in 2010 and that number was down to 63 by 2024-25.
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