Local authority leaders have called on the Government to plug the nearly half a billion pound shortfall caused by the funding of free bus passes.
Around £452m was spent by councils last year to enable older and disabled people to travel for free on local bus services at off-peak times, according to the Local Government Association (LGA).
The LGA warned the scheme was a strain on ‘overstretched budgets’ and was leading to cuts to discretionary bus services, such as free peak travel, community transport services, reduced fares and school transport.
Cllr Adam Hug, transport spokesperson for the LGA, said the Government should use the upcoming spending review to plug the funding gap.
‘Councils want to keep this scheme running but cannot keep having to find nearly half a billion pounds a year from their own overstretched budgets to make up the shortfall, money which instead could be used to help other people in need to get to work or college,’ he said.
