(08 Sep 2021, 2:02 pm)Adrian wrote It's an interesting point, but sadly one that is normally unclear due to the way Nexus present their accounts. Bus Services and Infrastructure are grouped together, when my view is they should be separate accounting lines. However, a recent FOI I read stated that it was around £13m spend (out of the £17m in the accounts) on secured services, but that includes scholars services.
https://www.nexus.org.uk/sites/default/f...signed.pdf
A decade plus of Central Government austerity absolutely has a lot to do with this, but our local authorities have their hands dirty too by carrying out their orders. Infrastructure such as this has a massive impact on people, and may make/break someone's experience of bus services, so the benefit far outweighs the cost. There seems to be plenty of capital funding found when it comes to vanity projects, such as new Council HQs in Durham and Sunderland, but very little when it comes to public transport.
Agree 100% with this, but not sure what it has to do with each operator dipping in to the pot for new ticket machines and the like, setting up their own system as a result.
Austerity has impacted on us mere mortals with the likes of cuts to public services, such as libraries or Sure Start centres - but the flow of cash towards private bus operators has continued to an extent.
Indeed, after all of the millions of pounds in funding in the past with the aim of increasing smart ticketing, it looks like the focus has switched http://www.transport-network.co.uk/Govt-...amme/17155