---
title: A Reset of Rural Public Transport
url: "https://www.systra.com/uk/expert_insights/a-reset-of-rural-public-transport/"
type: expert_insights
date_published: 2024-07-04
date_modified: 2024-07-09
schema:
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language: en-GB
word_count: 1147
reading_time: 6 min
canonical: "https://www.systra.com/uk/expert_insights/a-reset-of-rural-public-transport/"
featured_image: "https://www.systra.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2024/07/modern-public-transport-interior.jpg"
type-insight:
  - Optimising the Journey
---

# A Reset of Rural Public Transport

![A Reset of Rural Public Transport](https://www.systra.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2024/07/modern-public-transport-interior.jpg)

**I commute several times a week from my country town to the SYSTRA office in Reading, a countryside journey of just over an hour by bus. It’s a really beautiful journey and in recent times it’s become a service that is more popular – the rising fuel costs and the £2.00 have brought others to join the hotel cleaners, the hospital nurses, the supermarket manager, the college-goer and myself (among others) as regulars on the sunrise journey.**

“History may not repeat itself. But it rhymes” is a saying often attributed to
Mark Twain. With a glass half-empty, perhaps these recent years – with an
acceleration in the decline of trips by bus, reduction in services, fewer
drivers and increased costs, for example in fuel – rhymes with the 1970s (see my
[recent report on county bus services](https://www.countycouncilsnetwork.org.uk/?attachment_id=4974)
for more details). Yet perhaps we can seize some opportunities – as my commuting
experience hints. Perhaps there is an opportunity for a fundamental reset of the
delivery of the rural public transport network and the medium-term improvement
and growth of the rural public transport market.

A multi-pronged strategy is required for this, acknowledging that the
deliverability of individual measures varies from location to location. Below, I
set out just some ideas I see as essential for success to improve buses and
related transport in rural areas:

### A united approach to rural public transport

Currently [local buses](https://www.systra.com/uk/markets/transport/bus/) – many
ones requiring support by councils and other LTAs – usually run separately to
many school services. Both of these services run separately to NHS non-emergency
transport. These services all run separately to shared taxis, which also run
separately to community transport services. The latest type of demand responsive
transport – operated using digital apps – often runs separately to all of these,
and then everything runs separately to Park & Ride bus services outside towns
that have this. Finally, with the exception of PlusBus tickets in some
locations, local rail services are completely separate from all the other types
of
[rural public transport](https://www.systra.com/uk/markets/cities-urban-mobility/local-transport/)
.

If we could have an app (supported by telephone contacts) that would enable all
of these services – and more – to plan and book this public transport together,
that would remove much of the duplication of services and likely reduce the cost
of supporting rural public transport. There would be a number of hurdles to
overcome: for example, some school services would likely need to be open only to
pupils for security or capacity reasons, or there may be licencing issues to
enable shared taxis to run as buses, but this could surely be worked through.

Parcels delivery could also help guarantee the financial sustainability of
deeply rural demand responsive transport bus routes, which run at a loss and
rely on government grants or council subsidy. SYSTRA was part of a recent study
that identified substantial additional revenue to rural DRT operations through
integrating parcel delivery into DRT minibus services. Potentially, firms like
Evri or Amazon may be the financial saviours of demand responsive transport
services in future.

![ccn-systra-the-state-of-county-buses-final-pdf-image-036](https://www.systra.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2024/06/ccn-systra-the-state-of-county-buses-final-pdf-image-036.png)

_Total estimated support for buses by component – CCN authorities – Cumulativechange since 2009/10, adjusted for inflation_

### Combining authorities’ back-room operations to reduce costs

While there is likely to be a political discussion about how far different
councils or sub-regional bodies wish to have a sole corporate identity to their
rural public transport offer, uniting back-room services – whether ticketing,
software to run the united services, telephone centres or other – is a clear way
to reduce costs and make the supported service more viable and less likely to be
cut once any government support runs out.

SYSTRA’s
[ticketing team](https://www.systra.com/uk/services/transport-strategy/fares-ticketing-strategy/)
have been involved previously in ticketing software that have served several
LTAs and produced high quality outputs. As we move towards digital ticketing, we
are in a position to support clients again.

### ZEBRA and other alternative fuel options

Eco-friendly alternatives like
[electric or at least hybrid vehicles](https://www.systra.com/uk/services/future-mobility/)
can be adopted. Although this is sometimes a more expensive up-front investment
compared to traditional buses, the long-term reduction in fuel costs is
significant, the image to potential users is improved and the environmental
impact of vehicles is reduced. The recent ZEBRA2 scheme with finance now awarded
by government is a great opportunity to facilitate this investment and we are
poised to help councils and LTAs to implement ZEBRA2 schemes, using our
experience from the UK and worldwide to back us up.

#### The State of County Buses: Recovering Services Post-Pandemic

In light of the growing pressures facing county bus networks, the County
Councils’ Network engaged SYSTRA in 2023 to undertake a comprehensive review of
the English county bus services offer and the impact of recent policy
developments. Download and view the report below.

[download](https://www.countycouncilsnetwork.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/CCN-SYSTRA-The-State-of-County-Buses-FINAL.pdf)

![ccn-systra-the-state-of-county-buses-final-pdf-image-000](https://www.systra.com/uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2024/06/ccn-systra-the-state-of-county-buses-final-pdf-image-000-1024x904.jpg)

### Community engagement

No measures can reach their optimum impact without publicity, influence,
understanding and buy-in from local residents and politicians. Some of the most
innovative measures have failed because of opposition from the community. There
is also a correlation between the towns and cities with the most active and
well-organised passenger groups and the most well used bus services.

SYSTRA has a team practised in
[community engagement and market research](https://www.systra.com/uk/services/research-consultation-evaluation/)
and can help local communities be at the centre of improvements. We can
implement as many technological improvements as we like, but if they are not
bought-into and understood by customers, there is little point!

I’m really looking forward to coming up with some new ideas in the forthcoming
months – binding this all together. Watch this space!

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