Competition probe into bus services

Responding to the announcement that the Competition Commission will carry out a major investigation into local bus services, Cllr David Sparks, Chairman of the Local Government Association's Transport Board, said:

"This decision is good news for passengers and something local councils have been calling for. Bus travel is the most popular mode of public transport in England, but taxpayers and passengers are not getting a good deal. We are paying billions of pounds in subsidy and in return seeing higher fares. It is simply not an option to allow subsidy to spiral without improving services and meeting our environmental objectives.

"Better value for money could be achieved through directing investment through to local bus services that target local congestion, pollution and social priorities. The bus is valued by millions of people across the country, but it is the operators of these services that are truly benefiting from the current system and not passengers