Barnsley welcomes billion-pound investment into South Yorkshire's local transport

Today, the Chancellor has announced a £1.5 billion investment in local transport across the South Yorkshire region, including the Barnsley area.

Cllr Sir Steve Houghton CBE, Leader of Barnsley Council, said: “Getting the best for local people will always be my priority. I’m pleased that the government have listened to the issues we face in Barnsley and across the region, and is now providing substantial investment into things that matter to local people.

“Our Barnsley residents deserve a good and reliable public transport network. People have told us about the areas that need improving and we’re looking at how we can make improvements across the borough. It’s essential to improve connectivity within our communities and open up opportunities and accessibility to education, jobs, medical appointments and recreational activities.

“We've already made the first steps in bringing our buses back under public control in South Yorkshire. A £350 million investment will drive bus franchising for Barnsley and South Yorkshire through South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority's (SYMCA) City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement. It will enable us to design a bus network that works for local people, helping them get to where they need to be, with local decisions made on where buses run and when.

"In Barnsley, we’ve already started on the journey to making sure our people can have better access to bus services. Announced in our budget, we’re investing £5 million to give free bus travel for under-18s living in Barnsley. This is us helping our children, young people and families access education, work, activities and extra learning opportunities while supporting families with the cost-of-living.

“I look forward to working with our partners across the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority on making local transport networks better for our residents.”