Millions could be spent on bus stop screens

Millions of pounds could be spent on equipping more bus stops with screens showing arrival times.

Norfolk County Council said it had already installed 162 of the real-time information screens at shelters and had plans for at least another 134.

The Conservative-run authority said Department for Transport (DfT) funding had covered costs of "up to £7.8m", but further work was reliant on more funding.

The council said it had received £65.5m from DfT for bus services since 2021, with the funding going towards improvements including electric buses, 100 new shelters and discounts on fares.

It first agreed a contract for the installation of information screens, which provide waiting passengers with updating arrival times, in 2013.

Thousands of QR codes, which allow people to access links to travel information on mobile devices, have also been added to all bus stops in Norfolk.

The council's current deal runs until March next year, but a report advised senior councillors to extend it for a further five years.

While an agreement would be dependent on additional funding from the government, the report said the total cost could be "up to £7m".

It added that the screens – some of which are solar-powered - were proving "hugely popular" and had "helped in the 16% increase in bus passengers in the last year".

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