£3bn plans to boost bus transport

The government has unveiled a £3 billion package of investment for the bus sector.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will today set out his new bus strategy, backed by the investment, which will see passengers across England benefiting from more frequent, cheaper and reliable services.

Changes will include simpler bus fares with daily price caps, more evening and weekend services, integrated services and ticketing options across all transport modes and the ability for all buses to accept contactless payments.

The Prime Minister 's ten point plan will also set out how government will accelerate the transition to greener and more sustainable transport.

The plan includes promises to deliver 4,000 new British-built electric or hydrogen buses, transition cities in England to emission-free buses and end sales of diesel buses.

Mr Johnson said: “Buses are lifelines and liberators, connecting people to jobs they couldn 't otherwise take, driving pensioners and young people to see their friends, sustaining town centres and protecting the environment.

“As we build back from the pandemic, better buses will be one of our first acts of levelling-up. ”

Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands, said: “Buses are the backbone of public transport in the West Midlands, carrying more than 250 million people every year. Today 's strategy is therefore very welcome, and will enable big city regions such as ours to ensure buses remain at the heart of our future transport plans. ”

Raj Kandola, head of policy at the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, commented: “It 's pleasing to see the Government reiterate their commitment to improving bus services across the country - greater usage of buses will play a vital role in driving down emissions and encouraging modal shift.

“Questions will be raised as to how this plan will work in practice and whether the rhetoric will be backed by firm action as we emerge from the pandemic.

“It 's also fair to say that this top down strategy will only work if local authorities and operators are able to shape the plans - here in the West Midlands, operators such as National Express are ahead of the curve on many of these fronts, particularly as their entire bus fleet will be zero-emission by 2030 and they are working with Birmingham City Council to roll out twenty hydrogen buses in the city next year. ”

Pictured: A bus travelling through Harborne in Birmingham