By Cllr Charles Margetts
The covid pandemic has impacted all walks of life over the last three years and we continue to feel the impacts.
One consequence of the pandemic was that demand for public transport completely collapsed and is only coming back slowly.
There is a nationwide problem with bus services which will shortly impact Wokingham. It is time for the Liberal Democrat-led coalition showed some leadership to avoid serious consequences for Wokingham Borough
The are currently two types of bus service in Wokingham. They are commercial services (where the service is commercially viable and is run for profit) or supported services (where WBC pays a subsidy to the operator).
During the pandemic commercial operators were given grants by central government to keep services running.
This set of grants expire in October. The idea was that the grant would run until bus use had returned to pre-pandemic levels.
However, two factors have combined to make this problematic.
Bus use in Wokingham has only returned to 77% of previous use.
Bus use among concessionary users has only reached 55% of pre-pandemic levels.
The other factor which is crippling this sector is the inflationary pressure felt across the economy.
To operate a bus seven days a week the driver and vehicle cost around £240,000 per annum. These costs look likely to be 10-15% higher this year.
Therefore income is down for bus companies and costs are up.
The consequence of this is that it is very likely that commercial bus operators will start approaching WBC in the near future for subsidy and there is a significant risk of services being withdrawn if WBC decide not to subsidise the route.
The consequences of this for the elderly and non car owners in our community is significant. It would be also pushing the climate change agenda backwards locally in removing options to car use
This is a national problem which is impacting all areas of the UK
The situation is not at this stage a certainty and there is a clear window of opportunity for action. The leadership of WBC should be moving now to ensure this does not happen – however all that we have heard from Clive Jones on this issue is him blaming national government for not providing more money to Wokingham. He shows no understanding of the real problem and no wish to find a solution
We ae calling for WBC to take the following steps now to save local bus services:
1 – A PR / communication campaign to encourage residents to use the bus and to boost bus use. Any increase is bus use would help avert this problem. WBC have been silent on this matter – it is now time for them to act to save local bus services
2 – Every parish council in Wokingham Borough is sitting on large amounts of CIL (developer payments). Many of them simply cannot spend the money they have.
It is my understanding that one parish council has over £1 million of unallocated cil payments. This sum alone would pay for one bus route for 4 years.
This is money paid by developers as a levy when they build new houses.
The point of this money is to deliver key local infrastructure for the local community. During the last few months of the last Conservative administration it had started a discussion with two parish councils to part fund the no 7 Tiger bus service and keep it running
If a proactive plan was made to approach all the parish councils on any commercial bus route this could unlock missing money and make the route sustainable
3 – They should be lobbying all local mps to provide more funding for key bus services.
The Liberal Democrat-led coalition really need to wake up on this issue and show bold proactive leadership.
It is simply lazy to do blame the government in Westminster and do nothing. They need to represent and battle for Wokingham residents rather than seek excuses for doing nothing.
There is absolutely no point talking about the merits of active transport and the evils of car use when you allow public transport options to die.
If they act now and commit fully to saving local bus routes they can avert this problem
Cllr Charles Margetts is a Conservative councillor for Finchampstead North on Wokingham Borough Council
