Underthreat bus services could be saved for another year

Lancashire's subsidised bus services could be thrown a 12-month lifeline, despite the county council's need to cut public spending.
Bus protesters outside County Hall, Preston, ahead of a budget meetingBus protesters outside County Hall, Preston, ahead of a budget meeting
Bus protesters outside County Hall, Preston, ahead of a budget meeting

County Coun John Fillis, the council’s cabinet member for highways and transport, is considering extending the council’s tendered public bus service contracts for a further 12 months – until March 31, 2018.

The council says this is “to allow more time to explore and evaluate potential alternative public transport solutions.”

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The move would end uncertainty for residents across Lancashire about the future of many local bus services – at least for the next financial year

A new Assessment and Priority Policy for Public Transport is also being drawn up to guide future decisions.

A county council legal notice advises this will be used “to aid decision making on any future support and implementation of public transport in Lancashire.”

A decision is expected on December 8.

Coun Fillis said: “The county council is currently facing an unprecedented financial challenge which means that within a couple of years it is unclear how we will fund even statutory services, so we are having to take increasingly difficult decisions. However, I am aware of the importance of public transport, so I have asked officers to produce a revised Assessment and Priority Policy for Public Transport which should help the council to take a wider range of factors into account when making decisions about which services to support.”

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He continued: “I have also asked officers to continue looking at alternative ways of delivering public transport in the county and I will consider whether to extend funding for the existing LCC tendered bus service for a further 12 months to allow that to happen.”

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