John has welcomed the news that Oxfordshire is to received £12.7 million of new funding to deliver vital improvements to local bus networks. This is part of the Government’s £1.2 billion bus transformation programme which itself is part of a £7 billion package. The package includes £5.7 billion to level up local transport services across England’s eight city regions; and over £37 million for light rail services across the North and Midlands.
John said: “I am delighted that Oxfordshire is receiving this £12.7 million to boost our bus services. I have been lobbying the Minister on this for some time to try to ensure that some of the funding comes our way. This is good news! I look forward to seeing how our local transport network works to deliver more reliable and more frequent services for passengers."
This funding will help to make buses more frequent, more reliable, easier to understand and use, cheaper, or greener. Improvements will also include integrated ticketing and more bus lanes to speed up journeys.
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 today 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.”
