Passengers across Wales will benefit from an additional £84.6m of Welsh Government funding for the bus industry, which will help companies meet the challenges of coronavirus and run more services.

The funding takes total support for bus services this financial year to £140m.

With a drop in the number of people travelling, and the necessity of social distancing measures being in place, bus companies have been short of revenues in recent months. To keep the industry running the Welsh Government has stepped in to provide funding.

Initially this was to support essential journeys, before supporting the ramp up of services as schools and the wider economy began to reopen.

In August £10m was confirmed to help transport more people to school, college and work. The new funding announcement is the largest of its type and brings total support to £140m.

The funding is also another step from emergency funding and towards longer-term planning and an integrated system.

A new agreement – the Bus Emergency Scheme – was recently created to manage funding to the industry. The scheme brings together Welsh Government, Transport for Wales, local authorities and bus operators to reshape Wales’ bus network and ensure funding puts the needs of passengers first.

Lee Waters, Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport, said: “We want bus services to be meeting the needs of passengers, even in these challenging times.

“Buses play a vital role in connecting communities and helping people access shops, education, work and leisure. We remain committed to providing the necessary support to ensure efficient services in the short, medium and long-term."