Councils are set to be empowered to put in place strict requirements for bus operators looking to change or cancel vital routes, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced.

The Government’s Bus Services Bill, which has reached its second reading in the House of Commons, will protect ‘socially necessary local services’, according to the DfT.

‘We’re committed to giving local leaders the power to shape the bus services their communities rely on,’ said Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander.

‘Our Bus Services Bill is a big step forward, protecting vital services that people depend on to get to work, school, or essential appointments.’

Approximately 300 million miles of bus services operating outside London were slashed from 2010 to 2024, according to the DfT.

Lydia Horbury, Bus Users UK director for England, welcomed the move adding: ‘For too long, communities have been left stranded by sudden cuts to lifeline routes.’

Mayor for Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: ‘This bill is vital to reforming transport networks across the country, putting power back in the hands of locally accountable leaders to ensure services work for the communities they serve.’

Commenting on the second reading of the Bill, Graham Vidler, chief executive of the Confederation of Passenger Transport, said that bus operators share the goal of delivering ‘frequent, reliable and affordable services.’

However, he said that to achieve this the Chancellor needed to announce an extra £205m a year in the Spending Review to build the bus network by 5% and add additional bus routes.

Vidler also added that councils should be encouraged to speed up journeys by investing in bus lanes and priority schemes.