[ad_1]
Bus services in every part of England will be boosted by nearly £1bn of latest funding, the administration is pledging.
The Department for Transport last month announced the money for 2025.
Confirming details of its plans, the administration said the money will be allocated based on need, population and levels of deprivation – instead of making areas compete for funding as in previous years.
In total, there will be £712m for community authorities to boost services, alongside a further £243m for bus operators.
The DfT says Leicester, the Isle of Wight, Torbay, Southend, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are set to receive “unprecedented” levels of funding.
About 3.4 million individuals in England exploration regularly by bus, making it the most commonly used mode of public transport.
community authorities in all English regions will be able to introduce latest bus routes, make services more regular and protect crucial routes, the DfT says.
It added the money will allow more city areas to maintain high levels of assistance. Meanwhile, countryside communities and tiny towns will be able to offer more services.
Writing in the Sunday Mirror, Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said: “It’s straightforward: buses need to turn up, be affordable, and be punctual. Our funding helps them do just that.”
Haigh said: “This represents record capital funding to the majority of places and a once-in-a-generation change approach that aims to deliver London-style buses to every corner of the country – including those areas that are usually overlooked.”
The announcement comes ahead of the Buses Bill, which aims to offer community transport authorities across England latest powers to function their own services.
An extra £151m will also fund a cap in single bus fares outside London, which rose to £3 last month, until the end of 2025.
The Liberal Democrats have called for the administration to U-turn on the cap decision, with the party saying it will hit both commuters and community businesses.
Sir Ed Davey said on Friday: “The fare cap ascend is like a bus tax for individuals across the country, impacting bus users and commuters already struggling to make ends meet.
“MPs must be given a say on this bus fare hike on behalf of their constituents.”
But Department for Transport said the fare cap introduced by the previous administration was due to expire at the end of 2024 and some fares would have soared unless it intervened.
“Fares will only be allowed to ascend with inflation in the normal way, and the £3 bus fare cap will lead to savings of up to 80% on some routes, keeping bus tickets affordable across the country,” it said.
[ad_2]
Source link
