Norfolk given £15m to improve its bus services

The government said it was focusing on areas that had missed out on funding in the past

Norfolk is to get £15m from the Department for Transport to spend on improving the county's bus services.

The money forms part of about £1bn that is being invested in services across England outside London.

Some of that larger figure will be used to fund a cap in single bus fares, which rose to £3 last month, until the end of 2025.

That increase has been criticized by the Conservatives as an "attack" on working people and pensioners.

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said: "The value of regular and reliable bus services cannot be understated.

"For far too long, the East of England has been suffering from unreliable services with buses hugely delayed, or not even turning up at all."

At the start of 2024, a rise in bus passenger numbers in Norfolk was put down to additional funding from the previous government.

Under government plans, local authorities would be allowed to introduce a London-style franchising system, meaning they can decide routes, timetables and fares while operators bid to run the services for a fixed fee.

The government has also pledged to remove a ban on publicly-owned bus companies.

Graham Plant said the money would be spent on improving the experience of bus users

Graham Plant, Norfolk County Council's cabinet member for highways and transport, said he was thrilled by the funding news.

He said it was too early to say exactly what the money would be spent on but it would support council plans to attract more bus users.

"By delivering more frequent services, schemes that make bus travel quicker and more reliable, as well as improving waiting areas and providing easy access real-time information, we're seeing bus passenger numbers continue to rise across the county," he said.

Stephen Hewitt, of passenger group East Norfolk Transport Users Association, said bus-stop infrastructure and real-time information were priorities.

North West Norfolk MP James Wild, a Conservative, said the government needed to build on the investment made by previous administrations.

"Buses are essential to help people get around Norfolk to work, to school, to access essential services and for socialising," he said.

He criticised the decision to increase the rate at which fares are capped.

"Hiking the bus fare cap by 50% will hit people who rely on bus routes which offered lower fares," he said.