Published on Friday 20 February 2026
BCP Council and Morebus are working together to offer residents more choice and more convenience from bus services across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
A package of continued investment is set to simplify everyday bus journeys and make getting about with confidence easier than ever before, with proposals set to be discussed by Councillors.
Under the plans, targeted improvements and upgrades will take place in 2026/27 as BCP Council and Morebus build on strong momentum that has already boosted bus services in the area – placing them third in the entire country for customer satisfaction.
Funding will be focused towards improving reliability and making services more convenient: upgrades at key junctions - including Poole College, Winton, Upper Parkstone and Boscombe – will keep buses moving on the busiest routes, reduce congestion, and cut expected journey times.
Comfort, quality and passenger safety will all be improved with upgraded bus shelters and accessibility enhancements at 50 stops across the BCP area.
Improvements will take place at key passenger hubs with improved seating, lighting and signage at Poole Bus Station alongside additional CCTV and passenger information screens at Bournemouth Travel Interchange and Boscombe Bus Station.
A broader roll-out of real time information displays, with audible announcements, will empower more people to travel with confidence and independence: particularly those with visual impairments.
Cllr Andy Hadley, portfolio holder for sustainable travel at BCP Council said: “Buses play a vital role in keeping our communities connected – and these improvements will make everyday journeys simpler, more convenient and more reliable for passengers.
“Our close, high-quality partnership with Morebus continues to be a real strength for the area. By working together we’re able to deliver services that genuinely focus on the needs of our residents.
“Despite a slight cut in funding from Government, but with a multi-year settlement, I’m really pleased that this package of investment allows us to properly plan improvements in a collaborative way.
“These upgrades will make bus travel across our three towns even better and give residents more choice, convenience and confidence than ever before.”
Richard Wade, Morebus general manager, added: “We are continuing to work closely with BCP Council as part of the bus partnership, providing our own thoughts and ideas based on our extensive available data and experience.
“Listening to feedback received through the bus subsidy consultation - and from other sources - is also vital in our joint aim to improve bus travel for our customers here still further.
“Customer satisfaction levels show that our efforts are bearing fruit, but we won’t stop here. This latest announcement demonstrates the importance of our excellent partnership with BCP Council in maintaining quality bus services that are rated amongst the highest in the country.”
Previous funding from the Bus Service Improvement Plan has seen new routes created, and existing routes enhanced, to better connect residents to and from Bournemouth, Canford Paddock, Wimborne, - Broadstone and Alum Chine.
Investment in existing routes has also enhanced night-time frequencies to provide safe, reliable travel 24/7 across key services – to Poole, Parkstone, Branksome, Westbourne, -, Bournemouth, Charminster, Royal Bournemouth Hospital, Kinson, Southbourne, and Christchurch.
And, as part of funding that is already allocated, the key bus corridor from Bournemouth Station to the town centre will benefit from a major upgrade. The main bus stops in Westover Road and Gervis Place will be completely renewed, with new shelters, widened pavements and additional crossing points.
To make travel more convenient and affordable, the funding continues support for popular initiatives such as the £2 day rider tickets at weekends for under 19s, giving unlimited travel for a day in the BCP area.
The new funding allocations would refocus investment at new approaches where existing offers weren’t met with expected demand, such as discounted rates for evening-only travel: maximising value for money over the course of the funding package and ensuring lower fares for as many people as possible. Details of additional concessionary fare offers will be announced in due course.
All passengers can also benefit from the discounted “multi-trip Bundle” of 10 journeys for just £20 which gives residents more choice in how and when they travel, with low-cost, flexible options that fit around busy lives.
- Councillors on BCP Council’s Transport Advisory Group will discuss the Local Authority Bus Grant 2026/27 report on 25 February before going to BCP Council’s Cabinet on 4 March.