A LAST minute Government decision to extend funding for bus companies has been welcomed, but described as a “sticking plaster.”

The Bus Recovery Grant was set up to help bus companies remain afloat despite plummeting passenger numbers due to the Covid Pandemic.

With passenger number still yet to return to pre-Covid levels, the funding had been extended a number of times. But it was due to end in the coming weeks.

Earlier this month, it was revealed that seven services in West Yorkshire are likely to be withdrawn by operators in April if the subsidies ended, with several others cut back.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport committee chair and Labour leader of Bradford City Council, Susan Hinchcliffe said the government’s “hand-to-mouth” approach on bus funding wasn’t working.

She added: “This dithering really makes it impossible for us to plan.”

On Friday, the day bus companies had to announce whether they were continuing services, Government announced it was extending the scheme nationally by £80 million to continue support for bus services for an extra three months, until June.

Responding to the government’s announcement that it will extend the Bus Recovery Grant, Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said: “I’m relieved that the government has finally listened to the Mayors and taken action to stop some bus services from being axed in our regions.

“But this eleventh hour response has come too late for some communities, with some bus operators announcing further cuts to services today.

“We need a sustainable, long-term funding plan to save buses across the UK, not a sticking plaster.

“The government must address this immediately and use the time it has bought with today’s announcement to make real change.”

David Renard, Transport spokesperson for the Local Government Association said: “Buses act as a lifeline for so many people in our local communities. They are one of the keys to getting people out of their cars to save money, tackle congestion, and improve poor air quality.

“However, our bus services cannot survive on a hand to mouth existence.

“The Government should use the time this funding buys to work with councils and operators to develop a long-term, reformed bus funding model with significant new money.

“Only this will help the delivery of the Government’s ambitious National Bus Strategy that councils are fully committed to.”