Isolated communities risk being unable to access ‘essential’ services unless local bus and rail provision is improved, MPs have warned.
A report from the Transport Select Committee today urged all Government departments to recognise the ‘fundamental importance’ of passenger transport.
Many of the most vulnerable residents living in isolated communities are reliant on passenger transport for access to education, healthcare and employment - members of the committee said.
MPs warned ‘neglect’ of bus and rail would reduce access to crucial local sites and ‘disproportionately affect’ young and elderly residents alongside those on low incomes and disabled people.
Figures suggest two out of every five job seekers cite lack of transport as a barrier to finding work.
Committee chair, Louise Ellman said: ‘It is vital that all ministers recognise the fundamental importance of passenger transport in providing access to education, healthcare and employment.’
Calls were also voiced for ministers to recognise that isolated communities are ‘frequently’ situated in urban areas as well as rural and island locations.
‘Policy makers sometimes equate “isolated” with “rural” or island communities, but we found that some urban and suburban areas have inadequate passenger transport,’ Ellman said.
‘The Department for Transport should draft a definition of “isolated communities” for use across central and local government to target scarce resources in ways that reach all types of isolated community.’
‘We reiterate our long held concern that subsidised bus services continue to disappear as funding is cut. The bus industry must work with local authorities to deliver essential local services through the development of quality contracts similar to arrangements that operate in London.’
The committee added that it remained ‘unrealistic’ to believe volunteer run community transport schemes could compensate for decreased bus services.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: 'We know that bus services are vital transport links across England. That is why the department is providing protected funding until 2016 to run bus services and keep ticket prices down.'