National Bus Strategy

First Bus welcomes the publication of the National Bus Strategy, and the customer-focused vision within. A partnership approach and investment are key to improving bus services so that more customers can benefit from this vital and sustainable mode of travel as we move into the future.

The National Bus Strategy presents a significant opportunity for us to work even more closely with local authority partners to deliver the best experience for customers by making bus a priority. Shared action is needed to tackle congestion and make bus travel even more reliable for existing and new customers, and this continues to be a focus for us in many of our communities.

The strategy underlines Government’s recognition of the critical role that our teams played during the pandemic in providing essential bus services for key workers, and the role the bus industry must continue to play as the economy and society recover.

We are dedicated to continued collaboration with central Government and our local partners to deliver a positive experience for all customers.

Our MD, Janette Bell is in full support of the published reform and is already engaging with our local authority partners to deliver the vision for our customers. Here’s what she has to say:

"First Bus welcomes the publication of the National Bus Strategy – we fully support, and are committed to, delivering this exciting, customer-focused vision. Across the UK, we already work closely and effectively with local authorities and the Enhanced Partnership approach will enable us to build on these strong local relationships as we move toward recovery and work to improve customer experience.

As leaders in sustainable mobility, we embrace the opportunities demonstrated in the National Bus Strategy to accelerate the transition to zero emissions. We are fully aligned with Government’s ambitions for a zero-emission bus fleet and have already committed to this by 2035, and not purchasing any new diesel buses after December 2022.

We will continue to ensure that our progress doesn’t just exceed Government expectations as outlined today but also puts the demands and expectations of our customers front and centre."

Our customer-focused vision started long before today and we have been steadfast in our ambitions to lead in innovative solutions that benefit our customers and drivers. We understand that to encourage more people to travel on our bus services, we must provide services that have innovation, ease and convenience at their core. Click here for more information about our customer innovation aims and objectives.

In 2020 we committed to taking action to accelerate decarbonisation and improve local air quality by delivering low- and zero-emission solutions for our customers. Our strategy already embraces public transport’s role as a vital part of the solution in achieving radical decarbonisation, which must be a central plank of any Government’s approach to net-zero. You can find out more about our Group sustainability strategy here ⇒.