It is great that we were able to save our buses last October - but what comes next?
The Government has announced additional investment in England’s buses, worth up to £155 million, helping millions of passengers to save money on fares, get more people on buses and protect vital routes. This additional investment, covering the period April – June, takes Government lifeline funding for bus services to more than £2 billion since March 2020.
The £2 bus fare cap, which came into effect at the beginning of the year, will be extended for a further three months, backed by up to £75 million. There is also an extension to the Bus Recovery Grant which will ensure continued support for critical bus services across the country.
I am pressing the Combined Authority to set out how they plan to use the new bus funding the Government has put forward to help our area and in particular, if the Mayor still plans to go ahead with his new tax in April.
I am also pressing the Combined Authority for an update on discussions with Stagecoach about problems on the Number 9 and Number 19 bus services, as well as an update on the meeting with Stephensons to discuss connecting Ely and Cambridge bus services at Newmarket and including Bottisham as a stop on the Number 11 route.
