I don't know what particular utterances from messrs Stenning and Hornby you're referring to but perhaps that's a rather literal take on things.
The bus, and public transport in general, has never and can never provide all myriad of transport requirements. If they are saying that, and I don't know what you're referring to, then that is quite wrong.
Buses are good at moving people in consistent flows along key routes. For instance, if you live in Colne and work in the centre of Burnley. However, I bet there's a raft of people sat in their little metal boxes, who could use public transport and don't. Not because it's not available but through choice. Now why do they make that choice.... Perhaps they're anti-social? Or is it because the cost is seen as too high (because car travel is cheaper in real terms as the government daren't increase fuel duty) or that there's a pernicious ENCTS structure that positively penalises the occasional traveller? Or because buses are not prioritised so that there is some form of levelling the field?
Or that buses are perceived as lower class, or lower quality? Which is the one area where bus companies can make a difference and if they don't do that, what's the (insert expletive) point? That said, at least Transdev do try to make a decent fist of things despite operating in two major centres that are amongst the most deprived in the UK. Compare that to the experience of travelling on First Greater Manchester, Arriva or Diamond or whomever where the appearance of bus is seemed to be a victory rather than an entry level requirement! I remember catching an 2012 FGM e400 out of miserably wet Farnworth in Dec 2018 and thinking "Christ, they can't control the weather but at least the bus could be brighter". It doesn't always work (see Red4) but at least give it a go. Many firms don't even manage that, hence the frustrations of Stenning, Hornby and people like Roger French.
I live in the sticks. It's a choice I make and I invariably have to use a car to get about as bus wise, it's a two hourly tendered operation for me. My choice, my deal. I look across the valley and see the main road 3 miles away, cars trundling their way and wonder how many of those could actually substitute their car for a bus, each day. A modern bus with wifi and USBs and high profile livery, every 15 mins, every 30 mins at night and Sunday - it's those people who could change that need to be encouraged with some encouragement (i.e. fares not hamstrung by ENCTS) and a disincentive not to drive a car into a clogged and crowded city.
Then you have a government who, to be fair, are signing the cheques to keep public transport operating but with a clear message that will further damage patronage and class buses as a lower class option.
Rant here over
ps it's not at you
@RustySpoons but a wider societal issue.