A LACK of public transport has left rural residents increasingly unable to reach key services, MPs were told.

Rural community representatives gave evidence to MPs on the House of Commons transport committee on Monday (13 January).

The committee is conducting an inquiry into passenger transport in isolated communities.

Those giving evidence included Janice Banks, chief executive of the charity Action with Communities in Rural England.

"Many rural dwellers who don't have access to a car are finding it a real challenge to reach the services they need, whether that's a hospital, post office, bank or shop – because of cuts in public transport.

Rural community councils often operated community transport schemes which tried to plug the gaps left by cuts in public transport, said Ms Banks.

"Many of these schemes are very well-used but, even so, some are struggling financially and finding it hard to recruit volunteers."

Only 42% of households in the most rural areas have a regular bus service – compared with 96% of urban households, MPs were told.

At the same time, rural dwellers travelled 10,000 miles each year compared to 6,400 miles travelled by their urban counterparts.

"The government must take a joined-up approach to rural transport services before people living in rural communities become even more isolated and disadvantaged," said Ms Banks.

ACRE is calling for five key outcomes from the transport committee inquiry:

* The Government must accept that essential rural transport services will always need subsidies.
* Local authorities should be obliged to provide core rural transport services and support community transport schemes that fill in the gaps.
* Better connectivity and partnership working between all transport providers – bus, rail, community transport and taxis – is needed to give the best service with the resources available.
* Recognition of the needs of vulnerable groups, including the young, elderly, jobless and disabled, in isolated communities.
* Better communication of the services that are available – unused transport is not viable.

Ms Banks added: "The Government needs to accept that it is totally unrealistic for essential rural transport services to run without subsidies.

"Local authorities need sufficient funding for core services – and to be able to give support to the volunteers who run community transport schemes, from minibuses to car shares."

Communities needed bespoke solutions for their transport problems.

Ms Banks said this meant transport providers, local authorities and community volunteers sitting down together to work out the best approach