Nearly £5 million in extra funding for Portsmouth bus services
The grant's been approved by the city council
Portsmouth City Council has approved more grant funding, amounting to nearly £5m, to improve bus services in the city.
The council will receive £4.8m in government funding for bus services and infrastructure in 2025/26, following a recent cabinet decision.
To secure funding under the National Bus Strategy, Portsmouth had to create a Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) and work closely with bus companies. The city was originally awarded £48.3m (2022-2025), which has now been extended to March 2026 for key improvements.
In 2024, BSIP funding helped increase bus frequency on several routes and introduced 24-hour services on routes 2 and 23. These upgrades were planned with operators and will continue with less funding until March 2026, aiming to become fully self-sustaining by December 2026.
From March 2025, route 18 will extend to Clarence Pier with more frequent buses, and a new route 26 will run hourly between Havant and the City Centre. These services will be funded until March 2026, with operators agreeing to continue them until at least December 2026.
Other improvements include more red bus lanes, cheaper tickets for certain groups, and a new “Portsmouth Buses” brand at all stops in 2025. A major marketing push is also underway to promote these upgrades.
Cllr Peter Candlish, cabinet member for transport, said: “I’m delighted to accept additional money into the city and the BSIP programme – the extra £4.8m is great but it’s building on such a strong base.
He celebrated the achievements of the BSIP: “Last year we got 20 per cent more people riding the buses – and over 1m bus trips made every month.
“That’s taken us back above the pre-Covid levels and I think to-date we’re the only city in the country that has achieved that benchmark.”
The council will receive additional funding for bus services in 2025/26, including £2.22m in capital funding for infrastructure improvements, £2.43m in revenue funding to support services, £63,000 for capacity and planning, and an £84,800 grant for bus operators.