The six mayoral combined authorities in England that are in the process of moving towards bus franchising will each get a further £500,000 of government funding to help with that transition.
Adoption of franchising has already been confirmed in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, the Liverpool City Region, South Yorkshire, the West Midlands and West Yorkshire, while the same shift looks inevitable in the North East.
Combined authorities in those areas will get the further money for what the Department for Transport (DfT) says could include developing potential new service patterns or fares initiatives. It sits above Local Authority Bus Grant allocations already confirmed.
Franchising in the six area concerned will build on “the success of the Bee Network in Greater Manchester,” DfT adds. The North East Combined Authority recently moved its reregulation work to audit of the franchising assessment.
Allocation of the additional money to areas pursuing franchising sits alongside £3 million that will be spread across England outside London between 2026 and 2029 through the Local Authority Bus Grant. That is described by DfT as being for local leaders to “spend on the things that passengers actually need.”
The result of that devolution, it claims, “is a network that is becoming more affordable, frequent and connected, particularly for those in rural and less affluent areas who have for too long been left with no viable alternative.”
Roads and Buses Minister Simon Lightwood adds that the further £3 million for six combined authorities “will help mayors to take a step closer to franchising, allowing local leaders to take control of their buses to deliver for the thousands of people that rely on bus travel in their regions.”
Urban Transport Group Director Jason Prince says that Combined Authorities are “leading the way in making their bus networks affordable, accessible, and integrated.” He adds that the £3 million boost alongside existing monies and Bus Services Act provisions “will unlock the future of bus reform and see local passengers and communities benefit from better bus services.”
