Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress her Department has made on increasing the availability of real time bus information in Newcastle.

The government is committed to delivering the better bus services that passengers deserve, and as part of this, is working closely with bus operators and local transport authorities to improve the information available to passengers about their bus services.

The Bus Services (No.2) Bill’s information about local services provisions aim to enable public access to a new, central database of information, drawn from the existing bus registration process, and linked to the existing Bus Open Data Service (BODS). We hope that bringing these two data streams together will assist operators in complying with BODS obligations, leading to improved real time information about local bus services across the country. Bus operators are obliged to have working systems to provide real-time information for bus services in order to fulfil the requirements of the Public Service Vehicles (Open Data) (England) Regulations.

In addition, as part of the Autumn 2024 Budget, the government confirmed investment of over £1 billion in 25/26 to support and improve bus services and to keep fares affordable. This includes £712 million for local authorities to support and improve bus services, of which the North East Combined Authority was allocated £23.7 million. Funding allocated to local authorities to improve services can be used in whichever way they wish to deliver better services for passengers. This could include investing in technology to provide passengers with better real-time information.