PLANS to invest millions of pounds into improving bus services across Gloucestershire have been outlined by Gloucestershire County Council.

A report due to be presented to the council’s cabinet sets out how £28.4 million of Government funding could be used to support and enhance bus services across the county between 2026 and 2030.

The funding has been awarded by the Department for Transport through the Local Authority Bus Grant and will combine several previous Government bus funding streams into a single package.

The money will be used both to help maintain the current bus network and to invest in improvements to public transport infrastructure.

This could include upgrades to bus stops, improved passenger information, better interchanges and measures to give buses greater priority on the roads, helping them run more quickly and reliably.

The report also outlines plans to begin reprocuring a number of bus services and home-to-school transport contracts that are due to end between April 2026 and August 2027.

Council leaders say this will provide greater certainty for passengers, schools and operators while also helping to secure better value for money.

The proposals build on Gloucestershire’s Bus Service Improvement Plan and ongoing partnership work with bus operators.

They include continued support for key routes across the county, further development of the The Robin demand-responsive bus service in rural areas, and additional investment aimed at improving journey times and the overall passenger experience.

If approved by cabinet members at a meeting on Wednesday, March 18, the council will submit its Local Transport Delivery Plan to the Department for Transport.

This would allow the funding to be released and the programme of improvements to begin from April 2026.

Cabinet member for sustainable transport and strategic highways Cllr Roger Whyborn said the funding offered an important opportunity to strengthen the county’s public transport network.