16.2 percent of South Yorkshire’s buses axed in five years, according to Labour

Research has revealed that 16.2 per cent of bus services have been axed in the region in the past five years.

Doncaster North MP and Shadow Climate Change and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband said he was “deeply concerned” about the figure and referred to the Labour Party’s plans to overhaul services.

While over 1,000 bus services have been lost nationally in the last year, fares have surged by 45 percent since 2010.

The Labour Party has revealed plans to reform bus services which have been disregulated, such as in South Yorkshire.

Disregulation means that bus services are controlled by private corporations who are able to freely set bus fares and services.

In contrast, franchised bus services are those which are bound by restraints set by local authorities, with regulated services and fares.

Labour has vowed to give all local transport authorities the power to franchise bus services, lower the barriers to franchising and lift the legal ban on communities establishing their own municipal bus networks.

Mr Miliband MP said: “I am deeply concerned about the loss of bus services in the area. Constituents have told me that they have lost their jobs and children are finding it difficult to get to school and college due to bus services being withdrawn.”

Adding: “Communities in Doncaster deserve bus services that are reliable and affordable but this Government has failed to deliver them.