Bus network awarded £26m for improvement works

Millions of pounds worth of funding is being given to improve bus services and introduce new routes.

The government has granted Suffolk County Council more than £26m to be used across three years.

The council said it would maintain and grow services based on suggestions from the public, upgrade bus stops, improve ticketing options and more with the money.

Chris Chambers, cabinet member for transport, said it was "fantastic news".

The council will receive a total of £26,813,760 from the Local Authority Bus Grant.

It will be split as follows between 2026 and 2029:

• 2026/27 - £8,849,119
• 2027/28 - £8,937,920
• 2028/29 - £9,026,721

The money will also be used to renew and expand real time passenger information across the county and there will be investigations into bus priority measures to reduce journey times.

The council was previously given funding to see what extra routes the local community wanted, and Chambers said this would continue.

"We go out to the community and we ask for ideas on what services they would like to see in their areas, that local people and parish councils know best what's best for their local area," Chambers told BBC Radio Suffolk's Wayne Bavin.

"This will allow us to hear the suggestions they may have.

"We'll then go back and work with local operators to essentially hopefully bring those routes online."

Chambers said he was keen to work with rural communities on new roues, but those routes that weren't being used would be considered for being scrapped.

"If routes are not being used, and we've always been very clear in previous years of funding that you use it or lose it," he explained.

"We aren't going to financially support routes that aren't being utilised because that's just chucking good money after that.

"If routes are used we will continue to invest and support those routes."

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