Bus Users has welcomed today’s announcement from the Department for Transport that local areas can apply for £50million to become Britain’s first, fully electric town.
The funding is part of the £170million package being made available to encourage more people to take the bus. It includes £20million to trail on-demand ride sharing services, £70million for ‘Superbus’ networks, and £30million to improve services and restore lost routes.
Making the announcement, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “This £170 million package will help us to create communities which are cleaner, easier to get around and more environmentally friendly, speeding up journeys and making them more reliable.”
Claire Walters, Chief Executive of Bus Users, welcomed the announcement as a positive first step: “Despite being the most used form of public transport, bus services have been decimated over the past few decades.
“Reliable and accessible bus services benefit everyone, and today’s announcement will certainly help to improve services. However, the only way to encourage more people on board and make buses the best choice in green transport is through bus prioritisation measures, and that has to be part of a wider, long-term bus strategy.”