Cheaper bus fares and new routes promised for Leeds in new £500k Government funding package
Cheaper bus fares and new routes in Leeds have been promised as part of a £500,000 Government funding package.
Millions of bus passengers across England are set to benefit as part of £3 million worth of Government funding announced today (Monday, April 13).
Alongside the Government’s biggest reform to buses in a generation, the additional funding will support six mayoral authorities, including West and South Yorkshire, to set up bus franchising, building on the success of the Bee Network in Greater Manchester.
A £500,000 funding package has been made available to support each of the six region’s bus franchising journey, including the Weaver Network in West Yorkshire.
“Buses connect us to the things that matter most, yet for too long they have been in decline,” said Roads and Buses Minister Simon Lightwood.
“Thanks to record government funding, Mayor Tracy Brabin is investing into schemes that will make buses work for everyone. This includes introducing new services to Wakefield and keeping fares as low as possible through the Mayor's fares initiative.
“I am also delighted to confirm that we are investing an additional half a million pounds to continue supporting West Yorkshire’s bus franchising journey, with the Weaver Network ensuring the best possible services, routes and fares for passengers who have been let down by poor bus services for far too long.”
Distinctive green Weaver Network buses are on their way to West Yorkshire’s roads next year after Mayor Brabin’s landmark decision in 2024 to bring public transport back under public control for the first time in nearly 40 years.
Through a process known as franchising, bus routes, frequencies, fares and overall standards will be set by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority – not private operators, who will instead be contracted to run services on the Combined Authority’s behalf.
Similar processes are underway across the country and these schemes are all backed by the government, with more than £3 billion invested through the Local Authority Bus Grant between 2026 and 2029 - money that local leaders can spend on the things passengers actually need.
The six authorities received the below allocations from the £3 billion Local Authority Bus Grant:
- Liverpool City Region - £64.25 million
- North East Combined Authority - £74.73 million
- West Yorkshire Combined Authority - £103.8 million
- South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority - £52.4 million
- West Midlands Combined Authority - £119.37 million
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority - £31.76 million