The number of local bus routes in England has halved in just over a decade, according to an analysis.

The Labour Party has said there were 8,781 routes operating in the year to the end of march, compared with 17,394 in 2010/11. The research, based on figures published in annual reports by the Traffic Commissioners, stated that more than 2,000 routes had been cut since 2021/22.

Louise Haig MP .. Shadow Transport Minister

Louise Haigh said, “The staggering decline in local bus services under this government is nothing short of vandalism against our communities. Millions of people rely on these essential services, but they are being left without a voice as routes are cut back year after year.”

The Department for Transport criticised the analysis. A spokesman said; “It’s misleading to equate these figures directly with changes in the number of bus routes, when the government has invested £3.5billion since 2020 to back our buses.”

The Department added that a number of factors had led to reductions stated by Labour, such as operators merging routes and traffic commissioners no longer managing the registration process for some areas.