Government promises overhaul of bus services nationwide

The government has said studying bus timetables will become a thing of the past as it promised hundreds of miles of new bus lanes and more frequent services in England.

The £3bn plan will make buses across the country cheaper and easier to use, the Department for Transport said.

It is promising services that are so frequent passengers will be able to “turn up and go.”

But the plan has been met with scepticism from unions and Labour.

As part of the overhaul, daily price caps will be introduced so that people can use the bus as many times a day as they need.

More evening and weekend services will also be introduced, and all buses will accept contactless payment.

The government hopes to meet its targets through so-called enhanced partnerships that will see local authorities agree to make improvements to infrastructure in return for better services from bus companies. More franchising will also be introduced.

As part of the plan, the government has promised to deliver 4,000 new electric or hydrogen buses that will be built in the UK by the end of this parliament.

More details from the BBC website >>