THE county council has vowed to improve public transport issues in Basingstoke after it was revealed that the authority has set aside £10m to spend on enhancing services across Hampshire. 

Late and cancelled bus services have become an increasing problem in Basingstoke, with driver shortage partly to blame. 

At a meeting of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council's scrutiny committee on Tuesday, September 19, members were given an update on Hampshire County Council's bus service improvement plan.

Councillors were told the county council will have nearly £10m to spend on transport services over the next two years.

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Andrew Wilson, who leads the public transport policy within the county council, said: "In terms of funding we at the county council in response to the national bus strategy wrote out a bus service improvement plan that set out what we wanted to do with our partners to improve bus services in the county.

"In the last couple of months, we have been awarded £3.6m for this year and £3.6m for 2024-2025 to develop and implement those measures that are in our bus service improvement plan. It is about helping buses move through traffic better, improving liability and improving frequency."

He contined: "Our executive member made the decision in March this year to ringfence all of our concessionary fair underspend from last year and this year to those measures that will be implemented through the plan. So altogether that is not far short of £10m over the next two years and that is enough for us to do some good work.

"We have got more money available the new anticipated in the next two years to improve bus services so that is welcome. It is only available for a short time so we have got to use it in a way that t will help long-term growth."

Despite promises from the county council, members raised concerns about how much would be spent on Basingstoke. 

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Cllr Tony Jones said: "How much money is going to be spent in Basingstoke? I worry we as a council seem to be forgotten a bit and I wonder what percentage we are getting in spending."

Cllr Ganesh asked if the money has been allocated to anything specific in the next financial year. While Mr Wilson did not give any exact figures, he said: "We have set out a range of initiatives that it would go towards. There is some work going on to look at measures on the highways in Basingstoke to help buses move quickly."

He reassured councillors that work to improve transport issues in Basingstoke is at the "top of the shopping list".