Buses are an important mode of travel to Southampton and Southampton City Council has a long track record of partnership working with operators and neighbouring authorities, growing the number of people use the bus more often and improving buses, punctuality and offers.
The council, working with our local bus operators, has developed a Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) that sets out the continuing ambition to improve buses and the bus network in the city to 2030. It is based on nine goals for buses in Southampton and has a delivery plan of measures that will speed up bus journey times and improve reliability, make bus travel more affordable, improve bus passenger facilities, implement electrification of buses, and the longer term aspiration to develop the Southampton Mass Rapid Transit (MRT).
The BSIP is monitored and overseen by the Southampton Enhanced Partnership, with a joint board consisting of officers and a Cabinet Member from the council, and senior management representatives from the main bus operators in Southampton. Further information on the Enhanced Partnership, agendas, meeting papers and minutes can be found here.
The latest version of the BSIP, approved in June 2024, is available here the Bus Service Improvement Plan 2024 alongside the BSIP Delivery Plan for 2025/26 to download.
Latest News
March 2025 - Bus Grant Funding
For 2025/26 the council has received £4.6m of funding to deliver on our ambitions in the BSIP. This comprises of:
- £3.55m capital
- £0.95m revenue
- £0.17m Capacity & Capability
- £0.075m Bus Service Operator Grant (BSOG)
Following approval at the Enhanced Partnership Board, the council has submitted the Delivery Plan to Government. The projects being funded allow us to continue the transformation of the bus network, meeting the needs of residents, businesses and visitors, providing priority so buses can be more reliable, lowering fares, and developing the Southampton MRT concept further.
- Design and implementation of bus priority measures in the City Centre and Portswood that form the foundation for the MRT;
- General improvements to bus facilities (bus stop upgrades, shelters, access routes, security, Real Time Information (RTI)) and bus priority on Shirley Road and in Harefield, Sholing, Townhill Park and City Centre;
- Programme of general bus stop improvements, bus shelter replacements and installation of additional RTI screens across Southampton;
- Programme to upgrade and refresh existing bus lanes;
- Studies to develop further proposals for the MRT concept;
- Installing bus RTI screens in rail stations where they are served by buses (Sholing, Woolston, Bitterne, Swaythling, Millbrook & Redbridge) to help people going between rail and bus, and new RTI totems in City Centre bus hubs;
- Service enhancements and support for commercial bus network – pump-priming enhancements on 7 bus services serving Southampton with a combination of daytime, earlier morning/later evening, night time and weekend frequency increases, where cross-boundary working with Hampshire County Council and Portsmouth City Council:
- Additional Sunday journeys on Bluestar 1, Bluestar 2, Bluestar 7, Bluestar 19,
- Additional evening journeys on Bluestar 13 and Bluestar 15,
- Additional night journeys on Bluestar 17 and Bluestar 18 every night to make these services 24/7, and
- Funding to support X4/X5;
- Funding for supported bus network retendering existing bus services to Bitterne and Sholing, Shirley and Lordshill, and Bitterne Hoppas
- A new bus service on Hill Lane (Bluestar 19a);
- A weekend Park & Ride from Southampton West (Adanac Park) to City Centre via Southampton Central Station;
- Continuation of the popular £1 evening fare throughout 2025; and;
- Staffing, project management and monitoring costs