Awaiting share of £3bn bus upgrade pot

ROYAL BOROUGH & SOUTH BUCKS: Upgrades to bus services could be in the pipeline after central Government announced a £3billion investment into the sector.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson published a bus strategy on Monday, which aims to make the sector cheaper and more frequent. Changes include ‘simpler bus fares’ with daily price caps.

The Government also wants local councils and bus operators to form partnerships.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “We need councils to work closely with operators, and the Government, to develop the services of the future.”

Councillor Gerry Clark, the Windsor and Maidenhead council’s transport lead, added he is still waiting to hear full details on the plans, but reassured that the authority will ‘seize on every opportunity’ for funding.

Cllr Clark added: “We want to encourage bus use. Operators have been in a very difficult situation regarding COVID, [and] we hope that the demand will resurge.

“We will seize on every opportunity we can to secure Government funding.”

As well as the £3billion investment, the Department for Transport has also announced a £2.5million ‘Rural Mobility Fund’ to provide ‘ondemand rural bus services’.

Buckinghamshire Council has been awarded £736,000 to boost rural transport around two of its towns.

When asked why the Royal Borough did not benefit from this cash, Cllr Clark said: “That is not something I have been briefed on. If it were possible and we met the criteria, we would have submitted bids.”