00:00Across England, MPs on the Transport Select Committee are calling for free bus travel for everyone under 22
00:07and legally enforced minimum levels of service for local authorities.
00:11Their efforts are meant to reverse a decade-long decline, with annual bus journeys outside London falling nearly 22% since 2009.
00:20But the North East faces even steeper challenges. Bus journey numbers here have dropped by approximately 37% over the same period,
00:28plummeting from 209 million trips to just 131 million, according to the Department for Transport data,
00:35a stark reflection of how services have dwindled in our region.
00:39The Committee's report urges ministers to fund essential routes,
00:43those linking young people, low-income residents and older adults to schools, hospitals and employment.
00:49A bold call had also gone out for free bus passes for under 22s, following Scotland's example.
00:56Proposals include granting all local transport authorities a statutory obligation to meet minimum connectivity standards by 2029.
01:04In the North East, Mayor Kim McGuinness has already made moves, promising free travel for under 18s
01:10and steering the region towards bus franchising, which would return route, fare and service control from private operators back to public hands.
01:18Yet MPs caution that franchising alone won't fix the problem unless councils are properly funded and supported.
01:27In Tyne and Weir, buses have seen over 39 million miles scrapped since 2010.
01:32Last year alone saw an 8% annual fall in bus mileage, exacerbated by strikes that disrupted around 5 million journeys,
01:40costing the regional economy roughly £10 million.
