The survey, launched by the Labour Party, runs for several weeks and gives residents the opportunity to share their specific frustrations with local bus services. It also allows residents to share important details, such as how regularly their journey is inconvenienced by overcrowding or cancellations.
Under the Conservatives, bus services in England’s regions outside London collapsed, with thousands of bus services cut, and almost 300 million fewer miles driven by buses per year since 2010. Across Luton alone, bus miles declined by almost 40%.
The survey comes as the Labour Government prepares to introduce new legislation to make it easier for local authorities to take steps to hold private bus operators to account and improve service quality locally.
The Buses Bill, soon to be introduced to Parliament, will expand the power to ‘franchise’ bus services – as seen successfully in Greater London and Greater Manchester – to all local authorities. The Bill will revolutionise the bus network in the largest overhaul to local transport powers in 40 years.
The plans would grant local transport authorities’ greater control over the routes, fares and service levels of bus services, with private operators bidding for contracts to operate franchises.
The package of measures would also reverse the ideological ban on publicly owned bus companies, prohibited in law since 2017, giving local authorities more flexibility on how to approach fixing local services.
Rachel Hopkins, Member of Parliament for Luton South and South Bedfordshire, said:
“I am delighted to support Labour’s Local Bus Survey, giving residents across Luton South and South Bedfordshire the chance to tell me directly what needs to be done to fix our buses.
“For too long, my constituents have been let down by unaccountable private bus operators. With help from residents filling in my survey, I’ll be able to make the case in Parliament for our local authorities across the constituency to use new powers provided by the Buses Bill to make desperately needed improvements to the local bus network.
“I’d be grateful if you could take part in the survey, which is available at https://survey.labour.org.uk/betterbusessurvey.”