Go Ahead : welcomes further bus funding package

The Go-Ahead Group plc4 Matthew Parker Street, London, SW1H 9NP Telephone [phone]

PRESS RELEASE

7 July 2021

THE GO-AHEAD GROUP PLC

('GO-AHEAD' OR 'THE GROUP')

Go-Ahead welcomes further funding package for bus services in England

Go-Ahead today welcomes the announcement from the Department for Transport (DfT) regarding extended funding of bus services in England, to be provided by the UK Government.

In its statement issued on 6 July, the DfT announced a further £226.4m funding package, taking effect from expiry of current arrangements in September 2021 until April 2022. This reflects the Government's decision to provide a level of support to the bus network while customer numbers recover following the anticipated ending of COVID-19 restrictions later this month.

Earlier this year the Government published the National Bus Strategy. The measures it contains to support more bus priority and local improvement plans will help ensure continued passenger growth, and the recovery of the market.

Go-Ahead CEO, David Brown, said:

'The support we have received from Government over the last 16 months has enabled us to continue to provide vital services to communities, including essential journeys during the various lockdowns. Passenger numbers are now around 65% of pre-COVID levels. We look forward to welcoming more customers on our services as restrictions end, helping support economic recovery, reducing emissions and revitalising our towns and cities.

'The National Bus Strategy provides a framework for bus journeys to become quicker, more reliable and convenient. We will continue to work in partnership with local authorities to develop our services and make it easier for people to choose the bus and leave their cars at home.'

ENDS

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GO-AHEAD

Go-Ahead is one of the leading UK public transport operator companies. Our purpose is to be the local partner taking care of journeys that enhance the lives and wellbeing of our communities across the world. Employing around 30,000 people across our businesses, typically over 1.2 billion passenger journeys are undertaken on our rail and bus services every year. In addition to the travelling public, our customers include governments and local authorities. We are committed to contributing to tackling climate change, improving air quality and reducing social isolation, and aim to run a zero emission bus fleet by 2035.

BUS

Go-Ahead is one of the UK's largest bus operators. With a fleet of nearly 6,000 buses, we carry over two million passengers every day. We have a strong presence in London, with around 24 per cent market share, where we provide regulated services for Transport for London. Outside London, we principally serve high-density commuter markets, including the North East, Greater Manchester, East Yorkshire, East Anglia, South East and South West England. Internationally, we operate a bus contract in Singapore and two bus contracts in Ireland.

RAIL

The rail division operates two franchises in the UK, three contracts in Germany and one in Norway. In the UK, Southeastern and GTR (Govia Thameslink Railway) operate through our 65 per cent owned subsidiary, Govia, which is 35 per cent owned by Keolis. It is the largest rail operation in the UK, responsible for around 30 per cent of all UK passenger rail journeys through its rail franchises. In Germany and Norway, our contracts are run exclusively by Go-Ahead.