Future of bus services in region set out in more detail

Bus fare offers such as the child fare cap, free travel for care leavers until they turn 25, and Kids Go Free are set to continue, to further embed sustainable travel choices for people and support families, in plans before the Mayor and council leaders at their next meeting on 30 January.

These proposals follow the success of the return of Kids Go Free over the Christmas school holidays, which saw children’s journeys increase by more than 50% compared to the same period in the previous year. During the summer, when Kids Go Free was first introduced, children’s journeys increased by 32% compared to the previous year.

The £42.4 million three-year Bus Grant from the UK Government’s Department for Transport is set to include:

• £28.2 million for bus services, including supported services
• £9.9 million for fares and ticketing initiatives
• £1 million for passenger experience, including real time information and safety initiatives – particularly for women and girls

By the end of this month, £1 million of improvements from a previous funding allocation will see the remainder of some 250 new information screens installed at bus stops, bus stations, hospitals, and other places in the West to help continue building a network that local people can rely on.

The first 129 new green buses are already on our region’s roads, with another 160 on their way this year alongside infrastructure improvements to continue to electrify the bus fleet at First Bus depots in Bath, Lawrence Hill, and Hengrove.

Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said:

“Together, we are making real progress towards a bus network that works and which people can rely on. New buses, new services, and new information screens are just the start.

“Kids Go Free has already seen 1.1 million free bus journeys for under-16s over the summer and Christmas school holidays, with many people noticing more of a difference from our regional authority during those nine weeks than the last nine years.

“Next month, as we continue building momentum for our region, we will share our Transport Vision. This will set out our direction of travel, with £752 million already secured from government to invest in getting the West moving.”

Councillor Kevin Guy, Deputy Mayor and Leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council, said:

“Electrifying our bus fleet is a vital step in tackling the climate emergency and improving everyday travel in Bath & North East Somerset. Incentives like Kids Go Free are helping families choose sustainable travel and explore the region.

“We’ll keep working with the Mayor and our partners – and I encourage everyone to take part in the upcoming Bus Plan consultation so we can shape a network that truly serves our communities.”

Councillor Tony Dyer, Leader of Bristol City Council, said:

“These proposals present an exciting and much needed opportunity to strengthen Bristol’s transport network and improve the everyday journeys of people right across our city and the wider region.

“We have already seen the huge impact that initiatives such as the child fare cap and Kids Go Free have had on Bristol residents, and it is essential we continue to build on our good work through continued investment.

“I look forward to working closely with the West of England Combined Mayoral Authority and my fellow regional council leaders to continue delivering the transport improvements our communities deserve.”

Councillor Hugh Malyan, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport at North Somerset Council, said:

“As the Bus Service Improvement Plan funding winds down, the Bus Grant will help us sustain support for bus services across North Somerset.

“I welcome the three-year funding which helps us to plan and spend resources with certainty. We will still face some difficult decisions, however, as costs to provide bus services have risen with some services still needing significant support from the council. This funding broadly matches what we have had before so doesn’t represent any additional spending power.

“We have been able to work closely with operators to improve usage and coverage of the network, recovering 96% of the footfall since Covid, which is a phenomenal feat. There are still communities that need better bus services, and this funding will help us work towards that.”

Councillor Maggie Tyrrell, Leader of South Gloucestershire Council, said:

“We welcome the new bus grant of £42 million over three years. It will be important to ensure that the distribution of funding is based on the best available evidence to ensure residents across our region are able to access key services.”

Meanwhile, work continues to evaluate the full range of bus reform options, including potential franchising models and enhancements to the existing Enhanced Partnership with bus operators, after the Bus Services Act became law late last year. A Bus Plan is being developed for public consultation in the coming months, for local people to feed into how together the regional authority, councils, and bus operators can build a network that works across the West. A review of the Transport Levy, which has not changed since its introduction and is due to see a £1.6 million uplift for the coming financial year, is also set to take place in partnership with North Somerset.

Separately, the two-year trial of most WESTlocal community-led bus services is set to be extended by four months, beyond its initial April end-date, until the end of the July school term, including the Y8 loop from Yate through South Gloucestershire and Gloucestershire and the K1 in Keynsham. This will enable a review and assessment of service performance, looking at what has worked best and how a future network might utilise and reform WESTlink, a demand responsive transport (DRT) system. Options in rural and suburban areas could see more bus services like the 768, which connects villages south of Bath to the city with a semi-fixed route service that guarantees timetabled services during peak times while also serving passengers through demand responsive transport.

The birthday-related bus scheme in the West of England came to an end late last year, with no plans to continue it after a fall in the number of new users and wider increased pressures on funding.

Original press release by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority