Transport Committee visits Bristol to hear about health of bus services
12 November 2018
Members of the House of Commons' Transport Committee are to visit Bristol to hear about bus services in the area.
- Parliament TV: Health of the bus market
- Eventbrite: question and answer session with the Transport Committee
- Inquiry: Health of the bus market
- Transport Committee
MPs want to hear the views of local authorities about how the market works, what can be done to improve bus services and how they would like to see the future of bus services developing. The main issues surrounding the use of new powers given to local authorities by the Bus Services Act 2017 will also be under consideration.
Why Bristol?
Accounting for five percent of all journeys in the UK, buses are the most popular form of public transport. The number of passenger journeys in Bristol has risen by more than 40% since 2009/10 compared to bus travel in English metropolitan areas outside London, which has declined by 40% over the last 25 years. The City Council has recently concluded a consultation into their Transport Strategy up to 2036.
The Chair of the Committee, Lilian Greenwood, joined by Grahame Morris and Daniel Zeichner, will meet with Bristol City Council and First Group, followed by Mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees.
Public evidence session
In the first public evidence session the Committee has held outside Westminster, the Committee will take evidence from the West of England Metro Mayor and representatives from Plymouth City Council and Devon County Council.
Witnesses
Monday 12 November 2018
The Writing Room, City Hall, Bristol, College Green, Bristol, BS1 5TR
At 1.30pm:
- Tim Bowles, Mayor of the West of England
- Jason Humm, Head of Transport, West of England Combined Authority
- Karen Rose, Community Transport Adviser, Devon County Council
- Derek Fishpool, Devon County Council
- Ralph Ellis, Public Transport Officer, Plymouth City Council
Question and answer session
At 4pm MPs will host a general session on the work of the Committee as part of its celebration of UK Parliament Week, taking questions from the audience. Tickets for the free Q&A session should be booked online here.
Chair's Comment
Chair of the Transport Committee, Lilian Greenwood MP, said:
“With bus use in Bristol on the rise in contrast to a general decline across the country, buses are clearly a vital part of life in the city. Our session with local authorities will give us the opportunity to discover why more people are travelling by bus in and around Bristol.
“Our inquiry is looking into how services are provided outside London and how they can better meet the needs of communities in the heart of the city and beyond. Many factors impact bus use – congestion, competition, funding, pricing – and it will good to hear how Bristol is managing these.”
The inquiry was launched in July to consider how bus services are run in England outside London. Last month, the Chair visited Leicester to meet passengers.
Further information
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