Covid-19: Rural Bus Routes

What assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on rural bus routes.

The Department is working closely with local authorities and operators to ensure that the bus routes people most rely on continue to run throughout the pandemic.

The Government have announced a £5 billion package to support buses, including 4,000 energy-efficient buses. Will the Minister look at local routes in my area, such as the 15 and 16 in and around Brixham, to see how we might extend them in the future, given the vital services they provide in a community that has few bus links?

I understand that my hon. Friend recently met the Minister responsible for buses to discuss this very issue, and I pay tribute to him for the campaigning he does on behalf of his constituents. We are creating a £20 million rural mobility fund to support innovative solutions to transport problems in rural areas, and we will also be taking rural transport into account in the national bus strategy, which we aim to publish by the end of the year.