Over £4.3 million to be invested in Bucks, Beds and Herts buses
The Government's putting over £13 million into services in the East of England
More than £4.3 million is to be spent on improving bus services across Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, through Government funding.
A total of £13.6 million is going to councils across the East of England, from the Department for Transport.
We're told it'll go towards 'lower fares, improved reliability and better bus services' into 2025.
Local authorities are being given the cash to shape how services need to change in their area.
Money's already gone into things like new services, enhancing existing ones in the weekends or evenings, making tickets cheaper through reduced fares for elderly or young people, or to protect bus services with low passenger numbers.
The breakdown across the three counties is:
Bedford Borough Council - £546,757
Buckinghamshire County Council - £1,310,333
Central Bedfordshire Council - £350,457
Hertfordshire County Council - £1,488,381
Milton Keynes Council - £654,193
Government Roads Minister Richard Holden said:
“Buses are the most popular form of public transport, and so many residents in the South West rely on their local service to get to work, attend medical appointments, and see loved ones.
“We are delivering for local communities across ten local authorities by providing a further £11.8 million to improve and protect essential local services, as we continue to boost transport connections in the South West to grow the economy.”
Previous Government investment has seen £200 million go into extending the bus fare cap, with single bus tickets capped at £2 outside London until the end of October 2023, and then at £2.50 until 30th November 2024.
Silviya Barrett, from Campaign for Better Transport, said:
“We’re pleased the £2 bus fare cap we campaigned for has been a success, reducing fares and boosting passenger numbers.
“The additional funds for local authorities announced today are also welcome and we hope that this is just the start of ongoing investment in bus networks across the country.”