Buses connecting communities

House of Commons Transport Select Committee  Submission by Later Life Ambitions  January 2025 

Rationale  

In many parts of the country, bus services and passenger numbers are in decline. The Transport Committee will examine the role of buses in connecting rural communities with nearby towns and suburban areas. 

The inquiry will evaluate the effectiveness of recent Government policy in tackling the decline in bus services. It will explore the social and economic consequences of poor connectivity and consider whether innovations in alternative service models could provide solutions. The Committee will also scrutinise how the Government’s proposed bus reforms address the particular challenges faced by rural areas and local authorities outside of major cities. 

Executive Summary 

About Later Life Ambitions 

Later Life Ambitions (LLA) is a coalition that brings together the collective voices of over a quarter of a million pensioners from all four nations of the United Kingdom. 

LLA consists of three member organisations: the Civil Service Pensioners’ Alliance (CSPA), the National Association of Retired Police Officers (NARPO) and the National Federation of Occupational Pensioners (NFOP). 

As a campaigning group, LLA has ambitious aspirations for the next generation of pensioners. From fair pensions to safe and sustainable care services, and from accessible housing to regular bus services to promote independence, LLA calls for bold and forward-looking action from political leaders and other decisionmakers. 

In the UK today, there are 12.95 million people in receipt of the State Pension1; by 2030, there will likely be more than 13 million people in later life – each one with hopes, aspirations and needs. The issues pensioners face today will also impact on future generations of pensioners unless today’s policymakers are willing to confront the challenges now. LLA welcomes the Committee’s inquiry as an important opportunity to examine the impact of declining bus services on elderly people’s quality of life.  

Our response to this inquiry focuses on the potential benefits to the economy and society of greater bus service accessibility for all in society. We want people in later life to be able to have ambitions for their futures and live fulfilling lives without societal obstacles and hinderances getting in the way. Our members reflect on the disparate bus service provision throughout the country, their difficulties utilising these services, and the ways in which this stops them living the lives they want to life. 

Our call: increasing accessibility  

• We welcome the Government’s £712 million funding package for local authorities to improve services, but this must be accompanied by a renewed focus on accessibility and affordability given that ~3.4 million people in England travel regularly by bus, making it the most commonly used mode of public transport. 

• LLA supports the Government’s new legislation – the Better Buses Bill – which will further devolve power over local bus services to local authorities and give them freedom of choice to design bus services according to local need. 

• Local transport authorities and decision makers should work with transport operators and providers to improve the physical accessibility, safety and reliability of journeys as a whole. 

• We are calling for consistent concessionary travel across all public transport networks 

• LLA – like many other age sector organisations across the UK – calls for an Independent Commissioner for Older People and Ageing as part of an overall strategy to tackle the challenges faced by older people now and in the future, and to offer those who need it, advocacy, and legal support. 

Our response: 

1. Public transport is not meeting the needs of many older people. The most frequent reasons for not using public transport among those 65 and over are that it’s not convenient and does not go where you want. 

2. Decent and affordable public transport is a vital line of support for older people, enabling them to retain their independence. Yet lack of access to public transport can have a significant impact on an older person’s quality of life. Two in three older people cannot reach a hospital within 30 minutes by public transport, while in England alone 27% of bus routes, measured by mileage, have disappeared in the last ten years with a total of 5,000 routes closing altogether. A further 2,160 services were lost in 2022-23.  

3. Given elderly people are already at higher risk of social exclusion due to reduced access to opportunities, services and social networks, especially those living in rural areas or from a lower socioeconomic background, the Government’s proposed reforms provide an opportunity for local authorities to better serve those for whom bus services act as lifeline to social and economic participation. 

4. Later Life Ambitions’ pensioners’ manifesto calls for increased investment in local bus and services, for uprated concessions, and for improved accessibility and assistance for older people on all new bus services and associated facilities. 

5. LLA therefore supports the Government’s commitment, contained within the Bus Services (No 2) Bill, to improve the accessibility of bus stations and bus stops. Public transport providers should design their services with older transport users in mind, using technological improvements and customer insight to improve their experiences. 

6. We would like local authorities to have a statutory requirement to provide and maintain minimum standards of accessibility for older people in a supported bus network, in addition to adequate assistance for older people on buses and the wider public transport network. 

7. As part of the Committee’s inquiry into the Bus Services Bill, we would welcome a particular focus on the safety and accessibility of stopping places, in particular floating bus stops – stops that route a cycle track behind the bus passenger boarding area – which present a clear risk to those that are blind, visually impaired or suffer from mobility issues. 

8. LLA would welcome further government engagement on this issue. Whilst we concede that cyclists and bus stops should be designed to minimise risk to all, floating bus stops are exclusionary and lock blind people out of using their local bus services. It is essential that access to and from the bus is direct from the kerbside so passengers can board and alight the bus directly from the pavement without having to cross or step into a cycle lane first.  

9. Accessibility goes beyond being physically able to board a bus. The move over the last decade to a more digital approach to transport services, such as information about timetables, has contributed to a well-documented sense of digital exclusion felt by those in later life. We are hopeful that the devolution of bus powers will improve communications around bus services, and we call for residents to receive paper correspondence notifying them of any updates and timetables changes.  

10. We also support the increased funding announced by the Department for Transport, both to bus operators and local authorities; however, this money should ensure that crucial routes are protected and local stakeholders are consulted on local authorities’ proposed franchise arrangements to maximise benefits for local communities. 

11. A key concern for LLA when considering the Government’s proposed reforms is around concessionary travel schemes, with simplicity and ease of use vital to arrest the decline in bus services. In England, the concessionary bus pass can only be used on local buses with limited concessions allowing travel to locations across borders. In contrast, the bus passes issued in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales generally allow full access to public transport across the country. We want a transition to a nationally administered travel pass system for pensioners, which can be used on all forms of public transport – buses, coaches, rail and tram – which would incentivise older people to travel, both locally and nationwide. Travel provides social benefits, allowing older people to attend medical appointments, access shops, and meet with friends and family, thereby combatting loneliness and presents economic benefits to the UK economy. 
    

Championing older people’s rights and ensuring public transport accessibility – an Older People’s Commissioner 

12. Without effective transport, older people are more likely to be exposed to loneliness and isolation, particularly those living in rural areas. Where assistance is given to older people to access transport, it has a dramatic effect on improving their quality of life. 

13. Support and guidance from the Department for Transport, the Department for Work and Pensions and local government, amongst others, is vital to ensure adequate and accessible public transport provision. However, no single organisation can respond to these needs alone – especially as the UK population ages – and there is no overall strategy to prepare for the complex social and policy challenges that this will generate. 

14. LLA calls for an Independent Commissioner for Older People and Ageing as part of an overarching strategy to tackle the challenges faced by older people now – such as the distance of bus stops from key facilities such as GP surgeries – and in the future, and to offer those who need it, advocacy, and legal support. 

15. An independent commissioner in England could raise issues in real time to Ministers, ensuring that the concerns of our ageing population are represented in the appropriate fora. The postholder would champion the rights of older people and give them a genuine voice that reflects their views and experience. This is especially important in transport policy, with such a diverse range of stakeholders seeking to influence decision-makers.  

16. In 2008, Wales became the first country anywhere in the world to appoint an Independent Commissioner for Older People and Ageing, an approach followed by Northern Ireland in 2011. Both countries’ commissioners’ statutory functions are to: 

17. promote awareness of the rights and interests of older people. 

18. challenge discrimination 

19. encourage best practice in their treatment 

20. review the law affecting the interests of older people. 

21. In England, 90% of over-65s support establishing such an office, and a consensus statement calling for the creation of a Commissioner for Older People and Ageing has been signed by 70 charities and member-led bodies. LLA’s member organisations are all signatories to the statement, alongside ageing, disability charities and trade unions. 

22. LLA believes that older people need a voice to ensure policymakers across the UK address the challenges faced by older people in the way that best suits their needs. All too often, this is not the case; in 2021, Age Scotland found that “only one in five older people feel valued for their contribution to society, while more than a third feel that life is getting worse for older people. The proliferation of floating bus stops is another such example of policymaking which has neglected the views and experiences of those in later life.  

23. Without a single, authoritative voice to speak up and advocate for older people in England, the issues faced by over-65s can easily be ignored, overlooked or misunderstood by policymakers. Whereas older people in Northern Ireland and Wales now have recourse to commissioners to champion their interests, their peers in England and Scotland do not. Following the examples set by Northern Ireland and Wales, LLA believes the UK Government should create a Commissioner for Older People and Ageing for England and Scotland to ensure that older people’s voices and experiences are used to guide decisions and shape future local transport plans.  

Later Life Ambitions’ manifesto   

20. Standing by Pensioners set out our vision for a better deal for older people through six key asks. We are calling for: 

• Investment in local bus and rail services for uprated concessions and for improved accessibility and assistance for older people on all new bus and railway stock and facilities. 

• The UK Government to create an Older People and Ageing Commissioner for England and Scotland, following the examples set by Northern Ireland and Wales. 

• A National Social Care Service integrated with the National Health Service that remains free at the point of delivery. 

• The UK Government and the devolved administrations to combat digital technology’s role in social exclusion and access to vital services. 

• A commitment to guarantee the State Pension triple lock for at least the duration of the current Parliament. 

• All new homes to meet the Lifetime Homes standard with a national strategy for more adaptable, accessible homes across all tenures. 

Conclusion: 

21. LLA wants to see a comprehensive strategy for improving bus service accessibility and simplicity as part of any statutory reform of bus services. Local authorities are well placed to understand and consult with those that rely on these services to participate in society, and with the funding allocated by central government, there is an opportunity to improve elderly people’s quality of life – but ease of access must be prioritised, both in legislation and local authority decision-making.  

22. We will work with everyone concerned to reflect the views of our members and find solutions across the board. Please let us know if you require any further information as part of your inquiry.