Bristol birthday bus fund 'cannot be spent on routes'

Dan Norris revealed the plan at the Lawrence Hill bus depot in Bristol

An £8m fund set aside for bus users to have free birthday travel cannot be spent on restoring bus routes.

Earlier this week, the West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris announced a plan to give passengers free bus travel during the month of their birthdays.

But the scheme has been criticised by some as a "gimmick", following the axing of a number of bus routes.

Mr Norris said the government had been "very prescriptive" about how the funding could be used.

The scheme, for people living in Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Bath and North East Somerset, will last for 12 months.

Since it was announced on Tuesday, critics have questioned why that money could not instead be spent on subsidising unprofitable bus routes.

The money is coming from a £57m grant given to the combined authority by the Department for Transport, called the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP), which has strict restrictions on how it can be spent.

The 12-month scheme could be extended if it is successful

However, the easing of restrictions on the grant is expected to kick in this July, which could mean some bus routes are restored, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Speaking in the House of Commons on 17 May, Minister for Roads and Local Transport Richard Holden, said: "I am prepared to ensure maximum flexibility in order to preserve bus routes and enhance bus routes wherever we possibly can."

The metro mayor said he still needed to explore the details of the changes, before committing to any decisions.

Mr Norris said he could fund half of the cost of subsidising some important bus routes, with councils paying the other half. Previously councils have paid the full costs of the subsidies.

'Devil in the detail'

He said: "This is something I've been pressing for for a long time. We've had this BSIP money, we did very well in getting it, but it's been limited in how we can use it.

"It's very prescriptive. I've asked the government on numerous occasions over the past nine months, to say 'can we use it for this', and the answer has always been 'no'.

"If it's easing up on how it can be used, then I welcome that. But the devil will be in the detail and I'll need to see exactly what it is they're suggesting."

However, the main reason behind the birthday bus scheme, according to the metro mayor, was to change people's habits and behaviours to help tackle the climate crisis.