INVESTMENT in public transport is vital to alleviate rural dependence on private cars, MPs have warned.

Public transport in some rural areas is rare or even non-existent, said the House of Commons South West Regional Committee.

The committee’s latest report, Transport in the South West, was published on Friday (26 February).

“In rural areas that are not on main routes, public transport may be minimal and residents may have to use a car,” it says.

Regional government should identify the most isolated communities and improve their access to rural bus and rail services.

The south-west is England’s most rural and least densely populated region.

Although this is a distinct asset in terms of tourism, the report says it presents “real challenges” in terms of travel.

The region has the greatest proportion of non-principal roads, covering more than 11,000 miles, which must all be maintained.

At the same time, a large number of people in villages and the countryside - many of them elderly - live far from vital services and do not drive.

“For them, as well as for those who want to travel more sustainably, public transport options are rare or even non-existent,” says the report.

“There is a perception among some that policy makers in Whitehall, and even sometimes in regional government, turn a blind eye to rural issues.”

Most people who need to travel in rural areas have to use a car, although more than 20% of households in the south-west do not have one.

“This leads to isolation, particularly when shops and consolidate in large towns and cities,” the report says.

The committee said it had received a “substantial amount” of evidence on the paucity of decent rural bus services.

“We recognise that operating a bus service to a dispersed population in a rural area is difficult,” it says.

“However, we are concerned that the powers introduced by the government to improve bus services do not seem to be embraced by local authorities.”

The strategic leaders’ board should work with local authorities to see if they could be making more use of the powers at their disposal.

In addition, the committee calls on regional bodies to identify which communities are most isolated and at greatest risk of being cut off.

This information should be used to prioritise improvements to rural public transport in the future, the report recommends.