In the past, I have worked for a couple of bus firms. The tide originally turned in the 1960's, when conductors were replaced by driver only "one man operation" with pay and conditions gradually going downhill, particularly since privatisation and deregulation.
Subsidised routes have been in decline for many years, with commercially operated routes, frequently being re-cast in many parts of the country. Pretty much the entire sector is struggling, with the result that canteen facilities have closed and many drivers are regularly working, for more than four hours, without any hope of a toilet break.
In urban parts of the country, vehicles and drivers can be prey to crash scam attempts, along with other, anti-social behaviour and vandalism.
No-one seems to have any real answers to all these woes and there doesn't seem to be any political will to reverse the trend.
Fortunately, modern vehicles are pleasant to drive, compared with those in the 1960's, that usually had noisy, vibrating bodywork and windows, under powered engines and a cramped cab.
Personally, I wish we could go back to the "Peoples republic of South Yorkshire" style of operation, where there were frequent services from morning till night and you could go miles for about 10p. It was a good strategy for keeping people out of their cars, but, no doubt, the subsidies for that kind of activity these days would be deemed to be excessive.....