Community Bus Fund - Equality Impact Assessment - Results
Title of Policy
Community Bus Fund
Summary of aims and desired outcomes of Policy
The Bute House Agreement and Programme for Government 2022-23 included a commitment to establish a ‘Community Bus Fund to support local transport authorities to improve local public transport in their areas. This fund will support local authorities to explore the full range of options set out in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, including municipal bus services.’ The fund is intended to run for the remainder of this Parliamentary term.
The Act builds on and improves the existing regulatory landscape for Scotland’s bus services with the principal aim of reversing the long-standing decline in bus patronage to deliver important benefits which include sustainable economic development, carbon emission reductions and enhanced social cohesion. Bus services are a cornerstone of our economy with the sector accounting for 79% of all public transport journeys in 2021-22. Amongst employed adults, buses are more frequently used by younger people, disabled persons, and those on lower incomes and ethnic groups other than White Scottish and White British.
The new provisions under the Act cover partnership working, local franchising, the power for Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) to run their own bus services and improvements to the information available to LTAs when services are deregistered. They will give LTAs the tools and flexibility they need to deliver improved bus services tailored to the specific needs of their areas. Implementing the Act will make bus services more available, accessible and potentially affordable for all of society.
The Community Bus Fund (CBF) aims to support this reform by enabling local authorities to complete the preparatory work required for the Act powers, as well as broader innovations and improvements to local public transport and infrastructure to improve the accessibility of services. The fund will be administered by local authorities and will focus on rural deprived areas where lower population density means bus services can be less commercially viable.
The delivery of these benefits aligns with the Scottish Government’s National Transport Strategy 2 (NTS2). Published in February 2020, the NTS2 seeks to reduce inequalities and advance equality of opportunity and outcome, take climate action to make travel choices that minimise the long-term impacts on our climate, develop a transport system that will help deliver sustainable and inclusive economic growth and which will be safe and enable a healthy, active and fit nation.
Directorate: Division: team
Transport Scotland, Bus, Accessible and Active Travel Division, Bus Strategy and Funding Unit
Executive summary
The Community Bus Fund supports the implementation of the the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019. Therefore this results report provides an overview from the full EQIA and analysis and evaluation of the Implementation of part 3 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 – Consultation on Bus services.
The report shows that the impact of the guidance and regulations is expected to be largely positive.
Background
The intention of the Act and regulations is to give local transport authorities the toolkit to enable them to improve bus services and infrastructure throughout Scotland. If these aims are achieved then there is the potential to impact positively on most groups, including lower socio-economic and other societal groups who rely more on public transport.
The Community Bus Fund (CBF) aims to support this reform by enabling local authorities to complete the preparatory work required for the Act powers, as well as broader improvements to local public transport in rural deprived areas based on levels of Transport Poverty. Transport Poverty is defined as; not affordable; not available or suitable; doesn’t enable access in a reasonable time with reasonable ease; dangerous, unsafe or unhealthy travel conditions. This reflects the specific challenges rural and Island areas face in bus provision, particularly for those in poverty as without access to an alternative form of transport, households may be forced into car ownership, further increasing levels of poverty and rural deprivation in these areas.
The Scope of the EQIA
Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 (the public sector equality duty) and the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties)(Scotland) Regulations 2012 require equality to be considered in all functions of public authorities. This includes decision-making, the design of internal and external policies and the delivery of services.
In relation to bus services, the objective of the 2019 Act is to give local authorities the flexibility to pursue partnership working, local franchising, or running their own buses – allowing local authorities to better respond to local needs. It is anticipated that the effects of the Act will be positive but impacts may not be specific to any one protected characteristic but to bus users more broadly. As such it is considered that the EQIA required is ‘lighter touch’.
In relation to the provisions on partnerships, franchising and local transport authority run bus services, the 2019 Act provides local authorities with a range of options but is not prescriptive which option should be used. Instead the implementation of the provisions will vary according to each authority which will take decisions in accordance with their individual policies. While we anticipate that the provisions of the Act and regulations will have a positive impact it will ultimately depend on the actions and proposals of each local transport authority.
The proposals to make more information on services available for local transport authorities may also have the potential to impact on some of the protected characteristics. In general we anticipate that the provisions will have a positive impact, but as much of the detail of the proposals will be implemented through secondary legislation it is difficult to determine the full nature of these impacts at the level of this assessment. Further assessment of the potential impacts of these provisions on the protected characteristics will be carried out as part of the process of developing the regulations.
In addition to supporting the provisions in the Act, the Community Bus Fund includes a capital element to improve local infrastructure. Whilst we anticipate this will have a positive impact on improving accessibility to services in rural areas, it will ultimately depend on how local authorities choose to spend the funds. In administering the funds, local authorities will be subject to the Public Sector Equality Duties to assess impacts of spend on those with protected characteristics.
Key Findings
The assessment did acknowledge that in some areas there is limited formal evidence around the effect that the bus proposals contained within the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 is likely to have on specific groups with certain characteristics. However, the research and public consultation did not identify a detrimental effect on any of these groups, and it is anticipated that improved bus services would have a wide range of benefits for all users, including access to employment, ability to travel to see family and friends, access to shops and public services.
It is not considered that any changes to the policy should be made as a result of the assessment, as the evidence and data gathered indicate that, overall the 2019 Act and supporting regulations will have a positive impact on all groups. In addition, local authorities will be subject to the Public Sector Equality Duties to assess impacts of any spend through the Community Bus Fund on those with protected characteristics.
Recommendations and Conclusion
If, as a result of the fund, the bus network is maintained or improved this would contribute to making bus services more available, accessible and potentially affordable, which would be of particular benefit to older people, disabled people, young people, people experiencing transport poverty and others who do not have access to other means of private transport for access to work, education, training, health and other essential facilities.