YESTERDAY Transport leaders approved the region’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) at a meeting of the North East Joint Transport Committee.

The BSIP is a new £804 million bid to Government which transport leaders are confident would dramatically transform bus services across the North East and greatly improve the bus network for millions of passengers as well as helping the environment.

Welcoming the approval, a joint statement on behalf of local leaders, states: “Our region can achieve great things when we work together and we are delighted to unveil our region’s Bus Service Improvement Plan which will be transformative for local people.

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“Local authorities have worked in partnership with local bus operators to produce an ambitious plan for our bus services – an £804 million funding bid which we hope will enable us to deliver transformational change for local people.

“We want to deliver a truly modern, sustainable public transport system that we can all be proud of."

The ambitious plan aims to return bus usage - currently 25 per cent lower than before the pandemic - to pre-Covid levels by the end of the next financial year (March 2023), and to grow by 10 per cent each year thereafter.

This would provide numerous benefits to the North East including a major boost to the local economy, reduction in road congestion, and a reduction in air pollution by lower carbon emissions from excess car journeys.

Some of the initiatives coming in the next few months include: Financial support to maintain the bus network in light of shortfalls caused by Covid-19.

Region-wide affordable fares for multi-modal travel on all bus, Metro and Ferry services across the North East, as well as on selected rail services.

Better frequencies on many bus routes and improved fast daytime links and a night bus network.

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