Rebecca welcomes Conservative Government investment of £4,890,976 in bus services awarded to Essex County Council, supporting passengers across Castle Point.

The investment comes from the £80 million Bus Services Improvement Plan 2024-25 Fund, of which there have been three rounds – building on the £80 million invested in2023-24 and £1 billion invested in2022.

It comes on top of a further £140 million announced in May from the extension of the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG), taking the total to continue supporting and protecting bus services across England to £300 million into 2025.

To help people with the cost of living and save on everyday travel costs, the Conservative Government also invested £200 million to extend the bus fare cap, with single bus tickets capped at £2 outside London until the end of October 2023 and then at £2.50 until 30 November 2024.

The £2 fare cap has cut travel costs, particularly in rural areas, where buses are crucial for so many people to get around, with the average fare dropping by 10.8per cent in rural and non-metropolitan parts of England.

The measures take total Conservative Government support to protect and improve bus services while keeping fares low to £3.5 billion since 2020.

Rebecca said ‘I know how important our bus services are to thousands of people across Castle Point. This funding will protect this essential service, enhance transport connections and support people to get where they need to go’