HUNDREDS of miles of new bus lanes will be created under a £3billion transport revolution.
Daily bus hopper tickets which let passengers take as many rides as they want for a capped price will also be rolled out across the UK.
Buses will be made greener and cheaper as contactless payments will be installed on all bus routes while the sale of gas-guzzling diesel buses is set to be phased out.
Boris Johnson – a self-declared bus fanatic – is setting out the plans to beef up public transport as part of his mission to go green.
The PM said: “Buses are lifelines and liberators, connecting people to jobs they couldn’t otherwise take, driving pensioners and young people to see their friends, sustaining town centres and protecting the environment.
“As we build back from the pandemic, better buses will be one of our first acts of levelling-up.
“Just as they did in London, our reforms will make buses the transport of choice, reducing the number of car journeys and improving quality of life for millions.”
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, said: “Buses are this country’s favourite way of getting around. They help us get to school, to the GP, or to the shops – but services across England are patchy, and it’s frankly not good enough.
“The quality of bus service you receive shouldn’t be dependent on where you live. Everyone deserves to have access to cheap, reliable and quick bus journeys.
“The strategy we’re unveiling today will completely overhaul services, ensuring we build back better from the pandemic.
“Key to it is the new deal it offers to councils – we will provide unprecedented funding, but we need councils to work closely with operators, and the Government, to develop the services of the future.”
Improving the country’s creaking public transport system is seen is crucial in encouraging drivers to spend less time in their car.
Bojo is a big fan of buses.
In 2019 he revealed he paints model buses to unwind.
And as London Mayor he made bringing back the old routemaster buses a key pledge.
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