UK Government announces £5bn boost for greener transport.

13 02 2020 | 06:03Rachel Cooper

Bus services across the country will be transformed with simpler fares, thousands of new buses, improved routes and higher frequencies.

The Prime Minister has announced £5 billion of new funding to overhaul bus and cycle links for every region outside London.

This new vision will help level up local transport connections throughout the country, making every day journeys easier, greener and more convenient.

The package of investment will boost bus services by focusing on a range of priorities, including adding at least 4,000 new Zero Emission Buses to make greener travel the convenient option, driving forward the UK’s progress on its net zero ambitions.

Cycle routes will also see a major boost across the country with over 250 miles of new, high-quality separated cycle routes and safe junctions in towns and cities to be constructed across England, as part of the multibillion-pound package announced today.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Local transport connections have a truly transformative role to play in levelling up infrastructure across the country.”

“Our daily journeys for work or leisure are about so much more than just getting from A to B – they are the key to accessing skilled jobs and opportunities, boosting businesses and unlocking economic growth for towns, cities and regions across this country.”

Grant Shapps, Transport Secretary, said: “We want everyone across this country to have the transport services they need to improve their lives and opportunities – to do that, we must invest in the here and now. Through today’s buses funding we’ll be bringing about a transformation in bus services to every community, speeding up journeys and capping fares to make high-quality services the norm.”

Last week, The Department for Transport (DfT) announced that local authorities can now apply to become the UK’s first all-electric bus town, setting the ‘gold-standard’ in environmentally friendly public transport.

 

 

11 February 2020

Climate Action