News / Politics
Lib Dem Oli Henman pledges to ‘prioritise public transport’
West Country bus services have plummeted by nearly half since 2019 according to research by the Liberal Democrats.
The new analysis from House of Commons Library data reveals that more than 1000 bus routes across the region were cut between 2019 and 2024, with the Lib Dem candidate for West of England mayor and Lib Dem MPs in the South West now calling on the government to scrap the £3 bus fare cap rise “and rescue local bus services on the brink”.
Metro mayor candidate Oli Henman, a councillor on Bath & North East Somerset Council, has joined his party’s MPs to warn that this “devastating decline in services is leaving rural communities even more isolated and reducing access to hospitals, schools and high streets”.
The Lib Dems are proposing a Young Person’s Buscard for 19- to 25-year-olds which would be similar to a Young Person’s Railcard, giving them a third off bus and tram fares.
Lib Dem mayoral candidate Oli Henman is a councillor for Walcot in Bath and cabinet project lead for the climate emergency and sustainable travel – photo: Martin Booth
Henman, said: “Across the South West, many people rely on public transport in their everyday lives yet they’ve been continually let down both by the Conservatives who have delivered poor services and now by Labour, whose £3 bus fare hike will have real consequences.
“Many communities have been left isolated by the cuts to services, particularly in rural areas.
“We have a bold plan to deliver reliable integrated bus services across our region.
“By voting Liberal Democrat this Thursday, voters have the opportunity to vote for someone who will prioritise public transport and put local communities first.”
Main photo: Martin Booth
Read next:
Our newsletters emailed directly to you
