Several counties will benefit from a government scheme to improve urban bus services in deprived areas.

Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, and Cambridgeshire will each receive a share of the funding from the Department for Transport's Urban Bus Challenge.

John Spellar, Minister for Transport, said: "Tackling social exclusion by improving access to employment, health services and other community facilities is a key aspect of our transport objective.

"These projects will contribute significantly to urban renewal in the areas concerned."

Environment friendly

Bedfordshire will receive �996,400 for the Bedford Dart, a scheduled service which links a deprived area with job sites, shopping, and medical and leisure facilities.

Luton's Stoplinker, an inner-city service which links bus termini and the railway station was selected to receive additional funding to the tune of �222,800.

In Northamptonshire, funds totalling �942,490 will go toward a bid to improve the bus service provision in Corby, including transport for the two wards of Kingswood and Hazlewood.

Funding winners

And a service which provides environmentally-friendly minibuses for cross-town service from deprived residential areas to job and leisure facilities will receive �397,000

The Flexible Bus Service operates in Peterborough, in Cambridgeshire.

The 34 projects chosen for funding are the winners of the second round of a new scheme first launched by the Department for Transport in June 2001.