3 days Ago By [email protected] (Cait Findlay)
The government has announced additional funding for buses in Cambridgeshire (Image: Stagecoach) Breaking updates from Cambridgeshire's roads, rails and airports More Newsletters Subscribe Please enter a valid email Something went wrong, please try again later. More Newsletters We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you.
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More info × Group 28 Thank you for subscribing! We have more newsletters Show Me No thanks, close See our Privacy Notice Cambridgeshire and Peterborough will receive £10.18 million in government funding towards 'London-style' better buses. Transport Secretary Louise Haigh announced on Sunday (November 17) that £955 million has been earmarked to support bus services until 2026.
Of that, £712 million will go to local authorities like Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to improve bus services. A further £243 million will go directly to bus operators. A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "Totalling £955 million, the funding represents a record level of recent investment for bus improvements for the majority of areas, alongside once-in-a-generation reform to deliver London-style bus services to every corner of the country.
" Cambridgeshire and Peterborough will receive a total of £10.18 million towards its bus network, with an additional £409,000 to be paid to bus operators by the government from the Bus Service Operators Grant. Mayor Dr Nik Johnson of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) described the investment as 'welcome'.
He said: "With £2.3 million awarded in previous years, and like most authorities nothing before that, this £10.6 million really is an unprecedented bump in our public transport fortunes.
We will need time to work out what this means for us, but clearly such a significant boost to our resources will only be a good thing for the region's bus network." The CPCA is currently consulting on the future of bus services in Cambridgeshire, with a consultation set to close on Wednesday (November 20). "We think franchising is the best way to achieve the change needed, and we would like your views on what we are proposing," the consultation document said.
Ms Haigh said of the announcement of £955 million in funding for buses: "Buses are the lifeblood of communities, but the system is broken. Too often, passengers are left waiting hours for buses that don't turn up – and some have been cut off altogether. That's why we're reforming funding to deliver better buses across the country and end the postcode lottery of bus services.
And it's why we're providing over £1bn of funding to keep fares down, protect local routes and deliver more reliable services. "This is part of our wider plan to put passengers first and give every community the power to take back control of their bus services through franchising or public ownership. By delivering better buses, we'll ensure people have proper access to jobs and opportunities – powering economic growth in every corner of the country.
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