Suffolk County Council criticised over bus funding failure

A county council has been accused of being "asleep at the wheel" after it failed to secure funding for its bus network.

Conservative-led Suffolk County Council bid for £77m over three years and £107m over five years from the government's Bus Back Better scheme.

Some 31 areas, including Norfolk, received money from the £1.08bn fund.

Conservative councillor Richard Smith said it was "disappointing" to have missed out on the funding.

"The funding we bid for would have given us a real opportunity to transform bus services in Suffolk," said Mr Smith, the cabinet member for economic development, transport and waste.

"It is disappointing but it should be remembered that this funding would have been over and above our existing budget of £1.58m.

"Communities and bus users can be assured that we will continue to strive to provide the best possible service and infrastructure with the existing funding and through working together with operators."

In its bid the county council said it would use the money for a number of ideas including introducing daily fare caps on routes, merging Ipswich's two main bus stations and implementing a contactless or Oyster card-style ticketing system.

Suffolk did not receive any money in the government's allocation, while Norfolk received £49.6m, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The Department for Transport said: "The successful areas have been chosen because of their ambition to repeat the success achieved in London - which drove up bus usage and made the bus a natural choice for everyone, not just those without cars.

"As the Government stated in last year's national bus strategy Bus Back Better,  areas not showing sufficient ambition, including for improvements to bus priority, would not be funded."

Opposition councillors said the Conservative administration at Suffolk County Council had been "asleep at the wheel" for its bid.

Andrew Stringer, leader of the opposition Green, Liberal Democrat and Independent group, said: "This is devastating news for Suffolk.

"The Conservative county council can't even get a successful bid through their own party's government.

"Suffolk Conservatives were simply not ambitious enough in their bid."

Sandy Martin, deputy leader of the Labour group, said: "Suffolk's Labour councillors are shocked and dismayed that the government has not seen fit to encourage and enable Suffolk people to use the buses."

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