MPs see hope for isolated communities in pooling transport budgets and quality contracts

MPs want a large-scale pilot of a 'total transport' scheme where different transport budgets held by health, social services, transport and other departments are pooled to improve transport provision.

The recommendation comes in a new transport select committee report which also seeks a definition of 'isolated communities,' which the MPs contend exist in urban, as well as rural areas, and affects the unemployed, people on low incomes, younger people, older people and the disabled. The new definition would be used to better target resources, the committee says. 

The MPs say that it is "unrealistic" to expect voluntary community transport projects to fully compensate for decreased subsidy-supported bus services. But pooling different budgets, including social services and hospital services, in contrast, could "revolutionise transport provision by making more efficient use of existing resources to test the concept in practice," hence the demand for a pilot with a progress report within a year.

They also back the quality contract approach proposed by Tyne and Wear's Combined Authority as a way of specifying and protecting services for isolated communities as part of a package of services including the more profitable. The consultation on the Tyne and Wear scheme ended last month, with operators saying partnership is the way to save money.