Crime & Safety
Thousands now qualify for free bus travel under new plans
The Department for Transport has announced a new £3 million funding boost to help local areas take control of their bus networks, with councils already rolling out free travel schemes, £1 fares and brand new routes.
The changes are part of a wider “bus revolution” aimed at cutting costs for passengers and improving access, especially in rural and lower-income areas where transport options have been limited.
Six mayoral authorities including Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and West Midlands Combined Authority will benefit from the latest funding as they move towards a franchised system, similar to Bee Network.
Where free and cheaper bus travel is already happening
Local authorities are already using government funding to introduce eye-catching fare cuts and free travel schemes:
- In Barnsley, under-18s can travel completely free for two years, removing the cost of school and college journeys
- In the North East, fares for under-21s have been cut to as little as £1
- In Liverpool, the £2 fare cap remains in place alongside new express routes
- In parts of England, children’s fares have been frozen at £1 until 2029
At the same time, new routes are reconnecting areas that previously had no bus services at all. In Norfolk, a new link between Great Yarmouth, Caister and Norwich is connecting rural communities to jobs and education for the first time.
What the changes mean for passengers
Ministers say the investment is already delivering cheaper, more frequent and better connected services, with more improvements expected as local leaders gain greater control over routes and pricing.
Roads and Buses Minister Simon Lightwood said: “It is an incredibly exciting time for buses at the moment with record government funding supporting new services, including to rural communities and discounted ticket offers.”
He added: “Our £3 million funding boost will help mayors take a step closer to franchising, allowing local leaders to take control of their buses to deliver for the thousands of people who rely on bus travel.”
Transport groups say the reforms could transform everyday travel, making buses more accessible and affordable for millions.
The 6 authorities benefitting from today’s (13 April 2026) tranche of £3 million funding package are:
- Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
- North East Combined Authority
- West Yorkshire Combined Authority
- South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority
- West Midlands Combined Authority
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority
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Urban Transport Group director Jason Prince said: “Buses are the backbone of our public transport system… local areas are investing in bus services like never before.”
And Bus Users UK chief executive Lydia Horbury added: “Buses are a lifeline for millions… this investment is a positive step toward creating a more integrated and affordable transport system.”
With more than £3 billion committed to bus funding between 2026 and 2029, officials say further fare cuts, free travel schemes and new routes are likely to follow.
Nigel Bailey, who is close to becoming the new owner of the former Horse and Radish in Burford Road, Minster Lovell, has said he wants to have the watering hole opened in the summer during the upcoming Football World Cup.
Mr Bailey and his wife, who live in Brize Norton, had an offer accepted for the pub earlier this year and hope to finalise the deal with Stonegate soon.
READ MORE: Cotswolds rival to Jeremy Clarkson pub could reopen soon
The Minster Lovell tavern was on the market for £850,000 last summer although that fell to £650,000 late in 2025.
Mr Bailey confirmed that they would give the pub a new name and said it would be based on English literature.
He said: “We’re eyeing English writers as a source for the name, people who have taken inspiration from the Cotswolds. That’s the concept.”
He added that the food would be traditional British but with a twist and that he is hopeful it will be open for the busy summer season.
“A good thing is that we have got the World Cup coming up,” he said, adding: “I mean it’s going to be all hands-on deck when we get the keys.
“I’ve got contractors lined up and we’re already looking for stuff but not really going into high gear until we have got the keys.”
Boasting 2.092 acres of Cotswolds views, the pub is less than two miles away from Jeremey Clarkson’s boozer The Farmer’s Dog in Asthall.
However Mr Bailey said he expects the upgraded Horse and Radish to complement the former Top Gear man’s boozer as well as The White Hart in Burford.
He said that it will be a pub stitched into the community and that they hope to hold plenty of community events there.
It dates back more than 100 years to 1871 when it was first mentioned in The Census with the name New Inn.
Over the years the New Inn had several transfers of ownership with tenancies lasting on average two years.
READ MORE: Historic Oxfordshire high street hotel up for £2.5m sale
It continued to be called the New Inn into the 21st century and then it reopened in May 2006 after a major refurbishment which included an extra single storey being built to the pub at the rear and side.
In 2013 the Inn was renamed The Dovecote before being rebranded again as The Horse and Radish.
The pub comes with planning permission for eight shepherd’s huts in the adjacent wild paddock, granted in 2022 and – according to the Land Registry – it was last sold for £465,000 in September 2017.
Inside the pub is a three-section trading area with multiple entrances, a raised bar section with 22 seats leading to three sets of customer toilets, a central bar-servery section split either side of a feature fireplace and a larger dining area suitable for 46 people at the back.
Leonardo Silvestre, aged 23 and of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to supply a controlled drug of class A, namely cocaine, at High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court on Monday (April 13).
He was remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on May 12.
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This follows his arrest on April 10 at Denchworth Road, Wantage.
Thames Valley Police said they stopped a male “posing as a food‑delivery rider after suspicious behaviour caught our attention”.
The force added: “That instinct paid off — during a search we recovered 16 wraps of cocaine and over £1,000 in cash. All seized.”
The police team said that this was part of their ongoing crackdown on drugs in Wantage.
They said: “Our recent survey told us loud and clear that our community wants us to focus on drug-related activity—and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”
Over the next few days they had several other encounters with possible drugs offenders, including arresting a man, reportedly mid drug deal, on April 11, at Naldertown in Wantage.
The force said: “As a result, a 22-year-old male from outside the area was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs.
“Drugs and cash were located on him, and his vehicle was seized.”
That man has since been released on police bail until June 26.
On April 12 they saw another man engaging in drug-related activity in Wantage with the suspect running from the police officers.
“Despite our best efforts—and assistance from the police helicopter—we were unable to locate him,” the police said.
They added: “However, we did seize his vehicle, along with cash and significant items inside.”
As of Friday, April 17 no arrests have been made in the case.
In one of their updates the Wantage and Grove neighbourhood police team warned that much of the drugs activity in the area relates to ‘county lines’.
READ MORE: ‘Very successful’ musician puts forward music studio at new Cotswolds home
The police explained: “It’s when organised drug networks from big cities push into smaller towns, exploiting vulnerable people to move drugs and money. It brings violence, fear and exploitation into communities that deserve better.
“This is one of several arrests we’ve made recently. Every time county lines tries to creep into Wantage, we’ll be there — and we’ll stop them.
“A huge thank‑you to our fantastic colleagues from Abingdon and Faringdon neighbourhood police teams for backing us up. Teamwork keeps our communities safe.”
Thames Valley Police said they confiscated the vehicle today (Friday, April 17) as it was on the roads uninsured.
In addition to the vehicle seizure, the driver has been reported.
A spokesperson for the Roads Policing team said: “First vehicle seizure of the late shift today by XRC01 on the A41 near Bicester.
READ MORE: Vauxhall seized as motorist drives from Oxfordshire police
“Driver was going to get around to insuring it at the weekend. Vehicle seized. Driver reported.”
This follows an incident on Wednesday, April 15 when a Vauxhall car was confiscated by Thames Valley Police.
The police attempted to talk to the driver of the car who then “made off” after which the car was located and recovered from its registered address.
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