Council defends 'no-brainer' bus subsidy as costs questioned

Why it matters: The routes provide vital links to employment, healthcare, shopping and social opportunities for residents who would otherwise struggle to travel independently, particularly older people and those living with disabilities.

The details: The council currently funds 14 bus routes across the borough at a total annual cost of £203,000. Executive councillors agreed at a meeting on Tuesday, 11 August, to continue the subsidy for a further three years as existing contracts near their January end date.

• The routes are paid for entirely from the surplus generated by parking charges at Cromwell Square, in St Nicholas Street.
• The decision means the routes are set to run at least until the end of March 2030.

The other side: Opposition councillors raised concerns about the amount of money spent on some of the services, with the council having to spend between £1.67 and £7.69 per passenger, depending on the route. The number of passengers using the routes also fell, from 72,541 in 2024 to 68,313 last year.

What they're saying: Cllr Jane Riley, the council's culture and customers lead, said the routes would not be commercially viable for private companies but provided significant social value.

"These services provide important access to employment, healthcare, shopping and social opportunities for those people who might otherwise be unable to travel independently," she said.

Cllr Carole Jones defended the spending, saying: "When we subsidise services it's because we're basing that subsidy on need, not for a desire to make profit – it's a no-brainer, of course we should do it."

The bottom line: Despite falling passenger numbers and questions over value for money on some routes, the council has opted to prioritise access over profitability, securing subsidised bus services for Ipswich residents until at least 2030.

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