County receives funding for overhaul of bus operations

Hertfordshire County Council has secured £360,000 of funding from the Department for Transport (DfT) as part of a national initiative to improve rural bus services.

The county is one of five selected to receive funding that will go toward reviewing existing bus operations and exploring new models that could enhance public transport across Hertfordshire.

The Department for Transport-funded project will assess how the council currently collaborates with private bus operators and whether a franchising model could offer better, more reliable journeys within more rural areas.

At the moment, the vast majority of services are operated commercially, which means they rely on passenger demand and having areas where large numbers of customers live in close proximity.

Paul Zukowskyj, executive member for transport at Hertfordshire County Council, said: "We’ve made a commitment to fix our buses and improve journeys in our county and securing this funding is the first step in making that promise a reality.

"We want everyone in Hertfordshire to be able to travel sustainably and safely across the county, and a reliable, efficient bus network is central to that ambition.

"We'll be working closely with our partners in the Intalink Enhanced Partnership as we begin this review, and we look forward to working with the Department for Transport on this."

Simon Lightwood, roads and buses minister at the Department for Transport, said: "We’re backing Hertfordshire to explore how it could take control of its bus network and transform rural services to work for everyone, ensuring passengers, not profit, are put first when it comes to bus services."

The review will also consider network stability, service frequency and existing council-owned and managed services like HertsLynx. The focus will initially be on North Hertfordshire, East Hertfordshire and Stevenage.

Hertfordshire is one of five areas nationally to receive the funding, with proposals expected to be submitted by April 2026.

Any approved plans may require further funding to move into implementation.