Hampshire is set to receive £14 million from the government to continue supporting local buses, keeping a cap on fares, and protecting the future of local routes.

The Department of Transport (DfT) has unveiled £955 million of funding to boost bus services across England, aiming to support, improve, and protect “crucial” services until 2026.

The funding, confirmed by Transport Secretary Louise Haigh, is intended to benefit every region in England, particularly those “historically” underserved, like rural areas and small towns.

In the South East, Hampshire County Council has received the second biggest funding, totalling £14,087,588, after Kent County Council, which received £23,134,379.

Leader of the county council Nick Adams-King welcomed the funding which, he said, will help the authority and its partners to deliver on the Bus Service Improvement Plan, which aims to double current bus use by 2038.

Cllr Adams-King said: “We continue to work through the details of the announcement and to understand how this funding can boost our collective commitment to make bus travel a more attractive, reliable, and greener option for many more people in the county.”

Managing director from Bluestar, Andrew Wickham, also welcomed the funding and said it gives the bus industry a “degree of certainty” for the coming years to work with the local authority and get the “very best” for passengers across the region.

He said: “Bluestar enjoys an excellent working relationship with Southampton City Council and Hampshire County Council – which has allowed us to direct additional funding from the Government’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP+) into our services across the region.

“Our partnership with the councils is integral to ensuring our passengers continue to enjoy a reliable, safe and high-quality service – with customer satisfaction levels among the highest in the country.

“Together with the local authorities, we are seeking new ways to entice large numbers of local people out of their cars and onto the bus. Our efforts are bearing fruit – with passenger journeys continuing to rise in the years since the Covid pandemic.”

Despite exact details of how the money will be spent, the managing director believes that it is an “excellent” opportunity to place buses at “the forefront of sustainable travel” alongside the work they do with Southampton City Council and Hampshire County Council to provide vital links within towns and urban areas and the more rural communities across the region.

Mr Wickham said: “I’m looking forward to working with the councils further on innovative new ways to increase bus use and lower congestion – including bus priority measures that have the potential to cut journey times significantly.”