Bus journeys set to get cheaper and faster amid £100M investment in the South West

The government says money will be used to make bus services cheaper, more frequent and greener Credit: PA

More than £100million pounds is being invested into bus services in parts of the West Country.

The Department for Transport (DfT) say improvements will make services more frequent, more reliable, cheaper and greener.

The department added just under two-thirds of England’s population outside London will “benefit from new investment”.

Where in the South West will get funding to improve bus services?

  • The West of England (Bristol, South Gloucestershire and Bath and North East Somerset) and North Somerset - £105.5million

  • Somerset - £11.9million

  • Cornwall (including the Isles of Scilly) - £13.3million

  • Devon - £14.1million

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Buses are the most popular way of getting around in this country – but for too long people outside of London have had a raw deal.

“The investment we’re making to ramp up the bus revolution will drive down fares at a time when people’s finances are tight and help connect communities across England.”

In Cornwall, a trial starting on Sunday will also see most fares in the county cut.The DfT said short journeys will be 20% cheaper, with tickets for longer trips reduced by as much as 40%.

Cornwall Council's cabinet portfolio holder for transport Philip Desmonde said: “Road transport is major contributor of carbon dioxide emissions and research shows that around a third of journeys made by car are of less than 5km. 

"We all need to think about how we travel and I hope that this pilot will encourage more people to make more sustainable choices. If we all swap even one regular journey, it will make a difference."

Leader of Cornwall Council Linda Taylor added: “This is very welcome news which will make a real difference to our residents and ultimately, our environment.  

“Making our buses better value and easier to use will give our residents a much more attractive, sustainable travel option and is instrumental in our journey to helping Cornwall become carbon neutral.” 

More than £100million will be invested in bus services across the West Country

Richard Stevens, managing director at Go Cornwall Bus said: “We are delighted to be a partner in this innovative scheme, for years people have told us price is one of the main barriers to regular bus use.

"This pilot seeks to remove price as a barrier, enabling us to offer excellent value for money fares. I hope that every Cornwall resident will seek to add bus travel to their regular lives, helping to secure a sustainable, connected future for the rest of our lives.” 

But there are many areas of the country which were not successful in this latest round of funding in the Bus Service Improvement Plan scheme - including Plymouth.

The DfT said its bus strategy published in March 2021 stated “areas not showing sufficient ambition, including for improvements to bus priority, would not be funded”.Research from pressure group Campaign for Better Transport shows bus mileage in England declined by 27% from 2011/12 to 2020/21.

A spokesman for the Confederation of Passenger Transport, which represents the bus and coach industry, described the overall funding announcement as “an important milestone”.

He said: “Operators are ready to engage with successful local authorities to deliver their joint plans for improvement in bus services as quickly as possible to help deliver important goals such as the drive to net zero and economic growth across the country.

“It is important that we remember though that there will be millions of passengers left disappointed by today’s announcement as their local area missed out on funding.

“It’s vital that the Government now clearly sets out future funding plans and policy initiatives for delivering its National Bus Strategy, including measures to reduce car use.”