SYSTRA - The state of county buses: recovering services post pandemic

This report, undertaken by SYSTRA, examines the long‑term decline of bus services in England’s county areas and the challenges of recovery following the Covid‑19 pandemic.

It reveals that county buses have faced sharper reductions in funding, ridership and service coverage than urban areas over the past decade and warns journeys in county areas are now at a ‘historic’ low.

While recent national interventions, including the National Bus Strategy and Bus Service Improvement Plans, have helped stabilise services, the report concludes that current funding approaches are insufficient to deliver a sustained recovery in county and rural areas and calls for targeted reform.

It also finds that County Councils Network (CCN) members were extremely ambitious to improve and modernise services – bidding for a collective £3.6bn from the Bus Service Improvement Plan money. However, only 10% of these funds in the plan’s initial tranche went to county areas – with government choosing to prioritise urban areas, many of which already had more frequent services and bigger passenger numbers.

Analysis in the report reveals that:  

• Between 2010/11 and 2021/22, bus passenger journeys in CCN areas fell by 44%, a larger decline than in urban metropolitan areas.
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• One in four bus routes in county areas has been lost over the past decade, measured by vehicle miles operated.
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• CCN members bid for £3.6bn through Bus Service Improvement Plans but received only 10% of requested funding, with urban areas securing the majority of allocations.
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• County councils experienced a 50.7% real‑terms funding gap for bus services since 2009/10, equivalent to around £420m, driven by reduced resources and rising costs.
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• Post‑pandemic usage recovered to 65% of pre‑Covid levels, but concessionary travel fell sharply and now accounts for a significantly smaller share of journeys.

Recommendations to government include:

• Provide a further, targeted round of Bus Service Improvement Plan funding focused on county and rural needs.
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• Shift from competitive bidding to needs‑based funding allocations.
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• Commit to a long‑term revenue settlement for buses at the next Spending Review. Improve transparency of funding decisions and criteria.
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• Support a dedicated County Bus Strategy, including stronger backing for Enhanced Partnerships, demand‑responsive transport and sustainable bus fleet infrastructure.