£52m to improve bus services in Hampshire

Thursday, 8 January 2026 05:00

By Natalia Forero, Local Democracy Reporter @V2RadioSussex

Hampshire County Council has secured more than £52 million in Government funding to improve bus services across the county.

The funding includes £27.2 million in capital investment from the Department for Transport (DfT) and £24.9 million in revenue funding. It will be paid over four years, starting in 2026/27 financial year.

The money will be used to improve services and encourage more people to travel by bus.

Plans include new bus priority lanes, more frequent services on busy routes, better facilities at sixth form colleges, improved real-time passenger information, funding for rural bus shelters and extra support for community transport.

The funding comes from the Government’s Local Authority Bus Grant, which is designed to help councils maintain and improve local bus services.

The announcement follows a rise in bus use in Hampshire. Figures from the DfT show passenger journeys have risen from 24.9 million in 2023/24 to 26.6 million journeys in 2024/25, an increase of 1.7 million trips.

Councillor Lulu Bowerman, the council’s cabinet member for highways and passenger transport, said the funding would give the council confidence to plan improvements with bus operators and community.

She said: “It means we can plan ahead and invest in services that are more frequent, cleaner and more reliable, bringing real benefits for residents.
“Better bus services make it easier for people to choose greener travel, reduce congestion and tackle climate change.

Cllr added that higher bus use benefits the whole county.

“The more people who use the bus network, the better it becomes for everyone.

“It strengthens our local economy, enables young people to reach education, training and jobs, and gives older residents more opportunities to stay independent and connected to their community.”

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