City bus routes at risk amidst falling passenger numbers and soaring costs

But this comes with a warning that if Government funding is not extended or bus usage doesn’t increase, further services may be lost.

While the Government has provided financial support to the bus industry in response to COVID-19, this support is currently set to end at the end March 2023.

The bus industry pre-pandemic in York was worth £24m and the council funds about £0.72m of this through its own funding, subsidising a number of services every year.

However, as a result of the pandemic the industry has shrunk to 80% of pre-COVID-19 levels with 20% fewer passengers. This is compounded by the rise in operating costs for diesel and electric buses and a national driver shortage.

A council spokesman explained: “The current challenging situation is making more services uneconomical to run, with more services requiring council subsidy. This has seen several local bus operators submit notices for service withdrawals.

“The council has been successful in securing an additional £1m of funding to support bus services through part of its wider Bus Service Improvement Plan. (BSIP)

“However, if users don’t return to the bus or Government funding is not extended then additional bus services are likely to be at risk of requiring subsidy, which the council won’t necessarily be able to fund.

“A report set to be discussed by senior councillors is recommending the preservation of routes takes priority over preserving bus frequency. By stabilising the network against this challenging backdrop it sets a foundation to grow passenger numbers and safeguard the network.”

Councillor Andy D’Agorne, deputy leader and executive member for transport at City of York Council, added: “A combination of the ending of Government COVID-19 funding support, alongside increasing national driver shortages and rising fuel costs has created a crisis for the bus industry.

“Keeping the bus network even with a reduced frequency, as long as local communities are not significantly negatively affected by the reduction, provides a better basis to build back in the future.

“Routes affected to-date have all been run commercially by bus operators and not financially supported by the council. We are in a position where if people don’t use the bus services, they could lose them.

“Through the Enhanced Bus Partnership we’ll be working with bus operators on how the BSIP funding should be invested to support the bus network in the short and long-term.”