摘要: |
Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) were warned in mid-January by the Department for Transport (DfT) that 'prioritisation is inevitable' as it seeks to allocate 'around' £1.15bn of Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) funding across 79 LTAs. The DfT indicated that the three-year budget would also include £0.25bn funding for zero emission buses, though it was unclear if this was instead of or in addition to ZEBRA funding. Many LTAs have included bids in their BSIPs to top up separate ZEBRA bids, for which the government is offering 75% of the additional costs of zero emission buses, a reduced proportion compared to earlier funding rounds. The amount averages out at less than £5m per LTA per year, far short of 'the scale of the ambition' expressed in many BSIPs. The DfT hopes to confirm indicative funding to each LTA during February, though it is now believed some may not receive anything at all, especially if their priorities do not align with those of the DfT. Transport Minister Baroness Vere told a Confederation of Passenger Transport audience that some BSIPs were 'a bit rubbish.' |