£226 million package to support vital bus services

Roads Minister Baroness Vere has announced that bus operators will benefit from £226.5 million in funding to help ensure they continue to run vital services as coronavirus restrictions are lifted.

Running from September 2021 to April 2022, the funding is set to benefit operators outside of London, cementing the government’s commitment to level up transport links as passenger numbers begin to return to pre-pandemic levels.

The government says that 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.

Baroness Vere said: “Buses are the lifeblood 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 £120 million 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 Department for Transport has also announced that 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 £120 million to support the rollout of zero emission buses across England.

The following local transport authorities have been selected under the fast track process to progress to the next stage of the competition: Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority; Kent County Council; Leicester City Council; Milton Keynes Borough Council; Warrington Borough Council ; and the West Midlands Combined Authority.