The Mayor of the East Midlands has said investment in bus services will play a central role in plans to improve transport, cut congestion and support communities across the region.
The East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) says it is focusing on buses through a combination of service support, fleet upgrades and infrastructure improvements, aimed at improving reliability and affordability for passengers travelling to work, education and essential services.
As part of a national transport funding package, EMCCA is set to receive £65.5 million over the next three years to support bus services across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. The authority will receive £21,848,207 in each of the 2026/27, 2027/28 and 2028/29 financial years.
The funding is classed as revenue funding and will be paid directly to EMCCA, which says it will be used to support existing services and fare initiatives across the region.
Mayor of the East Midlands Claire Ward said reliable and affordable public transport was essential for the region, adding that investment in buses was intended to improve everyday journeys and strengthen links between communities.
Nottingham is set to be one of the early beneficiaries of the regional funding. Nottingham City Transport has placed an order for 13 electric double-decker buses, supported by £4.5 million of EMCCA funding. The vehicles are expected to enter service in late 2026 and will mark the start of the electrification of the city’s double-decker bus fleet.
The buses will be supplied by manufacturer Yutong and are described as next-generation battery-electric vehicles, designed with higher-capacity batteries for intensive city routes. Nottingham City Transport will be among the first operators in the UK to introduce this model.
EMCCA says the bus investment forms part of a wider transport programme funded through Transport City Regions capital funding. Over the next three years, around £120 million is expected to be invested in bus routes, service expansion, infrastructure upgrades and further zero-emission vehicles across the region. The authority says this funding sits within a wider £2 billion national transport funding announcement made last year.
The announcement comes as the Mayor continues a public consultation known as the Big Transport Conversation, which is seeking views on the future of transport across the East Midlands. Buses are a key focus of the consultation, alongside wider issues such as congestion, air quality, accessibility and connections between communities.
The consultation is open until 8 February and is intended to help shape transport priorities for the region up to 2040.
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