The Government has unveiled a new bus strategy, with the aim of creating a more frequent, cheaper, and importantly, greener service.

In an effort to help reduce car journeys, the Government wants to introduce a more frequent, cleaner and reliable service with cheaper fares.

The move includes ideas to better integrate services and ticketing across all transport modes, so people can easily move from bus to train providing a persuasive alternative to car use and reducing pollution.

The strategy also will see the end of petrol and diesel driven buses, to be replaced by 4,000 new British-built electric or hydrogen buses for zero-emission travel.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “As we build back from the pandemic, better buses will be one of our first acts of levelling-up. Just as they did in London, our reforms will make buses the transport of choice, reducing the number of car journeys and improving quality of life for millions.”

The fragmented market, which has operated outside London since 1986 will end with favoured operators and local “enhanced partnership” or franchising agreements to receive the new funding and deliver the improvements. Because of the decline in use caused by the pandemic, bus operators have already received significant emergency support from the Government. From this summer, only services under these arrangements will be eligible for continued support or any new sources of funding from the £3bn transformational investment.

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