Subsidised bus services - budget proposals
| Purpose | As a result of the local government finance settlement and existing budget pressures, the county council has already committed to saving over £200 million by 31 March 2014. Following recent announcements by the government over future funding, we now need to find further estimated savings of £300m between 2014 and 2018. This means that the council has to consider making these savings by reducing costs and reshaping the way services are delivered. Proposals for how we can make those savings are currently being considered by the county council's Cabinet and will be agreed at a full council meeting in February 2014. As part of a range of proposals being considered, we are looking to reduce the amount of money we spend to support bus services in the county each year by withdrawing the funding to subsidise bus services during the evenings and on Sundays. While the large majority of bus services across Lancashire are run solely on a commercial basis, the county council currently spends around £8 million each year subsidising bus travel. This proposal would maintain the majority of that spending, while saving £1.82m next year and more than £2m a year after that by focusing on subsidising routes during the day, when they are most used by people going about their business: getting to work or medical appointments and doing their shopping. We are also proposing an additional £500,000 investment in community transport to make sure that support is focused on those with the greatest need and where the public transport network is particularly limited. Before the final decision is made on all our budget proposals, we would like to hear any comments you may have on the proposals we have put forward. Your comments will help shape the final report presented to full council in February 2014. |
|---|---|
| Subject |
Public transport |
| Commissioned by | Bus & Supported Transport |
| Geographic area |
All of Lancashire |
|---|---|
| Method |
Questionnaire - online |
| Consultation with |
General public |
| Date | 12/12/2013 - 17/01/2014 |
| Undertaken by | Bus & Supported Transport |
Project document(s)
Report(s)
- Appendix 1 Lancaster
- Appendix 10 Services operating into Blackburn with Darwen
- Appendix 11 Hyndburn
- Appendix 12 Burnley
- Appendix 13 Pendle
- Appendix 14 Rossendale
- Appendix 15 Services operating into Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cumbria and North Yorkshire
- Appendix 2 Wyre
- Appendix 3 Ribble Valley
- Appendix 4 Services operating into Blackpool
- Appendix 5 Fylde
- Appendix 6 Preston
- Appendix 7 South Ribble
- Appendix 8 West Lancashire
- Appendix 9 Chorley
- Consultation - passenger information
- Proposed withdrawal of subsidised bus services
Contact information
For more information about this research contact:
Bus & Supported Transport Manager
Lancashire County Council
Room D3, PO Box 100
County Hall, Preston
PR1 0LD
Email: lcc.bus.services@lancashire.gov.uk