BUS services should be taken into public ownership to stop private operators slashing them, the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) said today.

A government promise of an extra £167 million to help keep some bus services going was welcomed by the union, but it said the government should go further and bring buses permanently into the public sector.

Although-passenger numbers had plummeted, it was vital to maintain services for the benefit of key workers during the coronavirus crisis, the union warned.