详情

原文传递 More cash for Bus Recovery, but no time extension (yet)

题名：	More cash for Bus Recovery, but no time extension (yet)
正文语种：	eng
摘要：	Ten days after telling operators that it was 'reviewing funding required by the sector now and post April 2022,' the Department for Transport (DfT) announced it was adding £29m to the £226.5m already committed to the Bus Recovery Grant (BRG). However, the new money is only to cover until the end of the financial year, with DfT stating that "no further funding has yet been agreed past this date with HM Treasury." It acknowledges that this causes difficulties for forward planning, and asks that "operators do all that they can to avoid pre-emptively deregistering services ahead of April 2022." To assist with this, shorter notice registrations will now continue to be accepted until the end of February. The looming financial cliff edge is causing concern, especially in big city areas, some of which are suffering greater loss of passengers as commuters fail to return. West Midlands Combined Authority has identified that the bus network in its area could be as much as £50m short of revenue to maintain existing timetables, and is particularly concerned that it could create instability before and during the Commonwealth Games being held this summer. It is now investigating franchising as an alternative to its current preference for an Enhanced Partnership. Greater Manchester Combined Authority was warned that the financial gap between a network running at 95-100% of normal levels but only carrying 70% of passengers could not be sustained without a replacement for BRG. Operators' association OneBus told the meeting that industry sources indicated further funding was likely to be "an aspirin rather than a Nurofen" but would help "to tide us over for a few months."
出版年：	2022
期刊名称：	Buses
卷：	74
期：	804
页码：	7-7