Bus operators across the country will benefit from £226.5m in
government funding to help ensure they continue to run vital
services as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted, Roads Minister
Baroness Vere has announced today (Tuesday 6 July).
The funding will run from September 2021 to April 2022 and will
support operators across England, outside of London, cementing
the Government’s commitment to level up transport links as
passenger numbers begin to return to pre-pandemic levels.
It comes as the Department for Transport (DfT) also announces
it has received 35 Expression of Interest applications for the
Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme, which gives
local transport authorities the opportunity to compete for a
share of £120m to support the rollout of zero emission buses
across England.
Both schemes are part of the Government’s drive to build back
better and greener from the pandemic as we look towards COP26
and plans to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
Roads Minister Baroness Vere said:
“Buses are the life-blood of our communities, helping us get
to work, school and to see friends and family.
“The recovery funding will ensure vital services continue to
run by supporting operators in those initial months as
restrictions are lifted and passengers begin to return in
higher numbers.
“And as we build back greener from the pandemic, the £120m to
roll out zero emission buses will have a profoundly positive
effect on our towns and cities, lowering emissions, improving
air quality and reducing noise pollution.”
The recovery funding announced today will follow the current
emergency support package, which is due to end next month after
providing more than £1bn to keep bus services running
throughout the pandemic, and will be provided on a formula
basis, ensuring the sector can begin to return to
commerciality. The funding will be the final tranche of
Covid-related support provided to the sector. In addition to
helping maintain services, recovery funding will support the
key aims of the National Bus Strategy of encouraging local
authorities and operators to work together to deliver better
bus services.
The ZEBRA fund was launched in March this year with local
transport authorities able to apply under either a fast track
or standard process.
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, Kent County
Council, Leicester City Council, Milton Keynes Borough Council,
Warrington Borough Council and the West Midlands Combined
Authority have been selected under the fast track process to
progress to the next stage of the competition.
The six shortlisted authorities will now develop business cases
for investment, with the Government awarding the first tranche
of funding from the ZEBRA scheme to authorities that produce
the strongest business cases.
More local transport authorities will be announced as being
selected to produce business cases under the standard process
in due course.
The ZEBRA funding comes from the wider £3bn fund announced by
the Government to improve bus services in our national bus
strategy, published on 15 March.
