Report

In the fast lane

This report from UK think tank the Fabian Society makes the case that improving our bus network is crucial to fulfilling Labour’s growth mission.

Buses are the backbone of public transport in the UK. For every journey by train, more than 2.5 are taken by bus. Yet despite their importance, buses have too often been overlooked in political debates and news headlines. Rail, not buses, commands the attention of policymakers.

In this pamphlet, Alex Mayer MP makes the case that improving our bus network is crucial to fulfilling Labour’s growth mission. She argues that debates around the country’s most used form of public transport must shift beyond franchising discussions centred on big cities or, at the other end of the scale, laments on rural decline.

Instead, she writes, we must find solutions relevant to the towns where most people live, prioritising affordability, convenience, and quality to increase ridership and make buses an attractive option for all.

Mayer argues that to revitalise the UK’s bus network, it is important to be clear about our priorities and delineate policy objectives accordingly. The question “What do we want to achieve?” comes first. Only afterwards should we begin to think about how best to structure delivery.