HALF OF LOCAL BUS ROUTES AXED SINCE TORIES TOOK POWER

2010: 17,394 routes 2023: 8,781 routes

- JOHN STEVENS

HALF of local bus routes in England have been axed since 2010, turning stranded communities into transport deserts.

Since the Tories came to power, many small towns no longer have adequate public transport and residents are forced to use cars - if they can.

The Government's Traffic Commissioners have revealed the number of registered bus routes has fallen from 17,394 to 8,781 in the past 13 years.

Some 2,160 services were lost in just the last year alone.