More than £5 million will be spent on schemes to improve bus travel in Staffordshire next year.

The government has awarded Staffordshire County Council £5.26 million of capital funding for implementing its bus service improvement plan (BSIP) in 2025/26.

Staffordshire's BSIP, approved by cabinet members in June, included proposals for a raft of capital schemes, including bus station refurbishments and upgrades to bus stops across the county. Council chiefs say they are now awaiting guidance from the Department for Transport on what the money can be spent on.

Staffordshire has also been allocated £5.1 million of revenue funding to 'stabilise' current bus services, most of which was previously announced as part of the Network North transport programme. The bus funding has been welcomed by leaders at the county council,

Bus passenger journeys in the county have fallen by 44 per cent since 2017 (Nub News).

Mark Deaville, cabinet member for strategic highways, said: "We want Staffordshire people to be better connected with improved travel options.

"Although the county council doesn't run buses, we have worked hard to ensure we have the best possible funding support from the Department for Transport in Staffordshire. This will stabilise the bus network and allow operators to develop innovative plans to attract passengers back to buses. We are awaiting the detailed guidance on the use of this money before we can announce exactly how it will be used.

"Bus services not only get people to and from work and the classroom, but support town centre retail and leisure businesses and help reduce carbon emissions by leaving the car at home. We'll work closely with operators to ensure we get the best outcomes for Staffordshire residents and to promote a sustainable transport network wherever possible."

Mark Deaville, from the council, said he wanted residents to be better connected (Staffordshire County Council).

There are currently 19 bus operators running more than 200 services in Staffordshire. But bus passenger journeys in the county have fallen by 44 per cent since 2017.

Most of the funding to keep Staffordshire's bus services going comes from public subsidy, with fares contributing less than 50 per cent.

The county council's BSIP aims to turn around the recent decline of bus travel by making services more attractive and reliable, with better connections between towns, villages and railway stations. Capital projects in the plan include improvements to the bus stations in Leek and Lichfield, a mobility hub at Keele University and bus stop upgrades on key routes, such as real time passenger information.

According to the June cabinet report, carrying out all the proposals over the 2025 to 2029 period will require £32 million of revenue and £23 million of capital funding.

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