As part of efforts to drastically improve services, Mayor Steve Rotheram revealed today (July 12) that about £110 million will be spent on the bus network in the Liverpool City Region.
The funds will be used, if approved at the Combined Authority meeting the following week, to construct a new bus interchange in the heart of St. Helens, enhance depot facilities, and shorten travel times and increase dependability.
Additionally, dozens of brand-new electric buses with no emissions will be bought using the funds. This is on top of the 58 electric double-deckers that the region had already acquired through the ZEBRA (Zero Emission Bus Regional Area) fund in April of this year.
Additionally, funding is being allocated to Liverpool in order to restore dedicated bus lanes, which were eliminated in 2014.
The announcement of the increased financing coincides with the rapid advancement of efforts to return public management of the area’s bus system.
Over 70% of respondents to a significant public survey supported the plans, and in 2023 Mayor Rotheram made the historic decision to franchise bus services in the Liverpool City Region.
By the end of 2027, franchised services will be implemented throughout the region, starting in St Helens in 2026. This new system will give local control over rates, schedules, and routes.
According to Steve Rotheram, over 80% of all public transportation trips in the area are made by bus, serving hundreds of thousands of individuals in need of transportation on a daily basis. However, the public must once again be at the centre of public transportation.
“We must make our buses a more economical, dependable, and environmentally friendly choice. As franchised services start to operate on the roadways in 2026, this investment is setting the foundation for those advancements.
A new bus and multimodal transport interchange in St Helens will be built with funds from the planned investment package totalling more than £32 million.The project is being carried out in collaboration with St Helens Borough Council and is a part of a larger program of works to revitalise the town core.
In order to improve timeliness, dependability, and trip times, funding will also be directed towards some of the busiest bus routes in the area, such as the 10A from Liverpool to St Helens, 53 from Liverpool to Crosby, and 86 from Liverpool to John Lennon Airport.
If authorised, a total of £108.1 million will come from the £710 million City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), which is set aside to assist in the implementation of innovative transport initiatives within the Liverpool City Region.
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