Kent gets £16m BSIPS funding
DfT has today (Wednesday 21 June 2023) announced £16.1m of funding for Kent County Council for their Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).
The £16.1m can be used to introduce lower fares, improve bus punctuality and reduce journey times.
The move follows the initial Government investment of £19m, bringing total funding to boost Kent’s bus services to over £35m since 2022.
The announcement comes ahead of the ‘Big Free Bus Weekend’ on 24 and 25 June where all bus travel across Kent will be free thanks to the Government funding delivered so far.
Over the last three years, Government support for buses has totalled over £3.5bn.
On top of the government support to improve local bus services in Kent, DfT has previously provided £9.5 million for 32 brand new electric buses and charging infrastructure from the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme to help decarbonise the local Kent bus fleet. The electric buses will be used on Kent’s Fastrack Bus Rapid Transit system.
“We’ve now invested more than £3.5bn since 2020 to protect bus routes in England and help people ‘Get Around for £2’ as we leave no stone unturned to level up transport, help people save money on travel, and grow the economy” – Roads Minister, Richard Holden
Roads Minister, Richard Holden, said: “Many people across Kent rely on the bus to get to work and shopping, attend medical appointments and see friends and family.
“That is why today we’re confirming over £16m on top of our previous £19m investment to boost Kent’s bus services and help build the modern, reliable and affordable bus network all residents in Kent deserve.
“We’ve now invested more than £3.5bn since 2020 to protect bus routes in England and help people ‘Get Around for £2’ as we leave no stone unturned to level up transport, help people save money on travel, and grow the economy.”
“This gives us an opportunity to develop our relationships with operator firms across the county to ensure people can make easy and sustainable choices when they want to move around Kent” – Kent County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, David Brazier
Kent County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, David Brazier, said: “Better access to local transport helps our communities across Kent to thrive. The additional money from the Department for Transport’s Bus Service Improvement Plan will make it easier, cheaper and more reliable to get around, thereby boosting our local economy.
“This gives us an opportunity to develop our relationships with operator firms across the county to ensure people can make easy and sustainable choices when they want to move around Kent, whether that be to learn, work or play.”