Funding worth £5m to improve county's buses

Staffordshire is to get more than £5m to improve its bus services next year.

The government has awarded the county £5.26m for its bus service improvement plan (BSIP).

The money is part of a wider government initiative which promises “London-style” bus services in every part of England.

Mark Deaville, the county council's cabinet member for strategic highways, said they wanted people in Staffordshire to be better connected with improved travel options but said the council was waiting for more detail before saying what the money would be spent on.

Staffordshire’s BSIP included proposals for bus station refurbishments, upgrades to bus stops and better connections between towns, villages and railway stations.

The county has also been allocated £5.1m of revenue funding to “stabilise” current bus services, most of which was previously announced as part of the Network North transport programme.

Passenger journeys in Staffordshire have fallen by 44% since 2017.

Carrying out all proposals aimed at improving transport in the county will require £32m of revenue and £23m of capital funding.

Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.