Extra £9.8m funding for city bus services

Nearly £10m of extra funding is to be invested in bus services across Stoke-on-Trent.

The city council has been awarded £9.868m by the Department for Transport to boost services that run in and around the city.

The authority said it hoped to "build on the success" of its Bus Service Improvement Plan which saw the introduction of discounted tickets, bus stop upgrades, CCTV installation and displaying up-to-date bus arrival times.

While the council is awaiting further guidance on how the grant can be used, councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker said he was keen to listen to local people to ensure communities were kept connected.

This latest cash injection is in addition to the £31 million the council was awarded for its improvement plan, which it has been in place with local bus operators since 2022.

He said: “We are committed to improving public transport and making it as easy as possible for residents to get around the city.

“We want to improve our local bus services and give residents a viable alternative to driving, to help improve air quality and reduce congestion. We have made substantial progress through our Bus Service Improvement Plan but we know that we still have a long way to go."

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