Bus Service Improvement Plan Schemes

We were pleased that our level of ambition for buses in the North East was recognised by the Department for Transport (DfT) in our allocation of £163.5 million in April 2022 to improve our bus services. In making our BSIP, we responded to the Government’s National Bus Strategy and our North East Transport Plan, both of which require that improvements to bus services are planned and delivered in order to achieve national and local objectives. These objectives include the reduction of carbon emissions, improvements in air quality, the growth of our economy and the advancement of the health and wellbeing of local people through the increased use of sustainable forms of transport.

The delivery of these schemes have been broken down into four key themes; customer experience, fares and ticketing, network, and highways and infrastructure.

To date, some of the highlights we have delivered are:

• A flat £1 single and £3 unlimited day multi-operator and multi-modal tickets for those aged 21 and under. Find out more about the Get Round for £1 offer.
• Capped multi-operator and multi-modal tickets for those aged 22 and over, including a regionwide ticket for just £6.80. Find out more about the All day, anywhere offer.
• A Bus Passenger Charter that applies on all bus services in our region to build customer confidence, to improve consistency and transparency.
• Various additional services including a late night/early morning service for Nissan employees, a new night bus service to Newcastle Airport and an additional service to the Freeman Hospital.