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HomeSourcesmirror.co.ukHalf of local bus routes axed in last decade under Tory rule...

Half of local bus routes axed in last decade under Tory rule leaving communities cut off

Labour warned that communities are being left stranded as it vowed to reverse the decline by allowing communities to take back control of local bus services

Half of local bus routes have been axed leaving communities stranded as people struggle to go shopping or get to GP appointments.

Figures show there has been a dramatic fall in the number of services operating across England since the Tories came to power. Many small towns are now “transport deserts” with inadequate public transport options for residents to be able to travel conveniently without driving.

Official data from the Traffic Commissioners shows there were a total of 17,394 registered bus routes in 2010. But this has plummeted with just 8,781 now remaining. Some 2,160 services were lost in just the last year alone. The West Midlands has been the hardest hit region, with the number of registered routes falling from 2,221 to 702 since 2010, a drop of more than two thirds.

The number of services has fallen by 52% in the North West, 50% in the North East, 45% in the East, 43% in the West and 29% in the South East. Some of the decline in registrations may have been due to services merging or routes being altered.

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