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<p>The Department makes available over £3 million each year to community transport
operators through the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG), supporting them to continue
delivering inclusive and accessible transport across the country.</p><p> </p><p>An
uplift of 60% has been added to BSOG claims for community transport operators until
31 March 2025. This means operators will receive £1.60 for every £1 claimed, reflecting
the increased costs faced by the sector.</p><p> </p><p>We also encourage Local Transport
Authorities to engage with community transport operators when preparing their Bus
Service Improvement Plans which are vital in setting out an areas’ long term plans
for bus services and how they will be improved.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The bus fare
cap, only available in England, has proven popular with bus passengers in communities
across England, particularly in rural and non-metropolitan areas, where our statistics
show the overall price of bus fares between September 2022 and September 2023 dropped
by almost 11%.</p><p> </p><p>Our £20 million Rural Mobility Fund (RMF) in England,
also devolved, is supporting 16 innovative, demand-led minibus trials in rural and
suburban areas across 16 local authorities in England. These pilots are exploring
whether Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) can serve these communities more effectively
than traditional public transport solutions alone.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
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