‘Bus Back Better’ proposals welcomed by regional transport body

Regional transport body, Transport for the North (TfN), has welcomed proposals to ‘Bus Back Better’ published by the Prime Minister on 15th March.

Plans will see government committing to £3 billion of investment in local bus services across England. The strategy looks to improve reliability and usability of the bus network nationwide after the pandemic.

Included in the government’s ‘Bus Back Better’ strategy are the aims to deliver lower fares in towns and cities across, as well as introducing more flexible services in communities cut-off from public transport links. Proposals also include commitments to transition towards electric and hydrogen powered vehicles, with a phasing out of new diesel buses.

The Prime Minister also called for closer partnerships and franchising agreements between transport operators and local authorities, similar to those already in place in London and expected to be adopted in Greater Manchester.

Commenting on the publication of the government’s ‘Bus Back Better’ strategy, Barry White, Chief Executive at Transport for the North, said:

Buses are absolutely integral to the North’s public transport system and are a daily part of millions of peoples’ lives in getting from A to B.

“This is a promising strategy that rightly seeks to make buses more reliable, easier to use and better for the environment. It also recognises the critical role of local leaders in knowing what is best for their area and having command over how their services should be improved. They must be supported by the necessary funding to deliver passenger benefits, including infrastructure investment.

“Public transport – be it bus, tram or train – needs better ticketing. We’ve already made strides in kitting out Northern train stations for contactless payments in the future as well as making bus data available on some of the UK’s biggest known travel apps.

“We share the Government’s ambition for an integrated ticketing approach to allow passengers to buy a through journey for local bus, rail and metro with a single tap on a smartphone. We hope recognition of the link between better fares and encouraging people onto public transport as part of our recovery will see progress made on funding such initiatives in the year ahead.”