- Package of over £150m provided by Government to support
vital bus and light rail services across the country
- Funding builds on unprecedented Government support for buses
and light rail throughout the pandemic
- New deal ensures services will continue running as operators
and local authorities work towards a sustainable future
Bus and light rail operators across England will benefit
from over £150 million of Government support, ensuring
services continue to run and millions of passengers can continue
to get around as the country emerges from the pandemic.
Today’s funding package builds on almost two years’ worth
of unprecedented Government support to keep bus
and light rail networks running, with around £2 billion made
available to over 160 operators during the pandemic. This
represents the final tranche of pandemic-related support to
operators and will run for six months until October 2022.
Not only will this new funding support operators and
authorities as they adapt to changing travel patterns, but
it will also help the continued delivery of Enhanced
Partnerships, with local authorities working closely with bus
companies to draw on their operating knowledge and marketing
skills.
Additionally, it will support local authorities and operators
across England as they continue working on Bus Service
Improvement Plans and delivering substantive improvements to
local services.
This additional package will help millions of passengers get
around as they return to the network.
Transport Secretary said:
“The funding I’ve announced today will ensure millions of us can
continue to use vital public transport services, and brings
the total we’ve provided to the sector to keep services
running throughout the pandemic to over £2 billion.
“Not only that, as we look ahead and continue our work to
overhaul services and build back better from the pandemic, this
funding will also help authorities and operators work together to
provide even better services for people right across the
country.”
The Government is investing over £3 billion into bus services by
2025, including £1.2 billion to improve fares, services and
infrastructure, and a further £525 million for zero emission
buses.
Roads minister Baroness Vere said:
“Millions of people rely on buses and trams to get them to work,
school and the shops, which is why we have already provided
billions of pounds of support for the sector throughout the
pandemic.
“This latest funding builds on that support and will help keep
services running as we emerge from Covid and ensure networks meet
passenger demand.”
Graham Vidler, Chief Executive of the Confederation of
Passenger Transport (CPT) said:
“This welcome funding will help operators have the certainty they
need to run an extensive network of services over the coming
months as we all adjust to life after the pandemic.
“In the longer term the bus network will need to adapt to meet
passengers’ new travel patterns. Over the coming months operators
will be working closely with local authorities to plan future bus
networks and introduce plans to grow passenger numbers. To aid
these local efforts we look forward to working with the
Government to loudly promote bus travel.”
This funding is dependent on local areas and operators
co-designing a financially sustainable and passenger focussed
public transport network, that works for changing travel patterns
post-pandemic.
More details on the allocation of this funding will be provided
in due course.
