Portsmouth: a transformation in bus travel

Portsmouth is quietly setting the pace for bus reform in the UK. With over £53 million in funding from central Government for its bus service improvement plan (BSIP) and a strong partnership between the council, First Solent and Stagecoach South, the city has taken a bold, data-led approach to improving public transport, and it’s working. Passenger numbers are up 41 per cent in just two years, with over a million journeys now made every month. That’s the best post-covid recovery of any UK city.

More services and great fares

Much of this success comes down to making buses more useful and more usable. Services have been expanded and frequencies increased, with 24-hour routes, new evening and weekend options, and better connections across the city and into surrounding areas. Fare offers like the Pompey Young Person ticket, which extends child fares to age 19, and multi-operator products like Hoppa90, which allows multiple boardings over 90 minutes, and Night Owl, which allows multiple evening trips on one ticket, have made travel simpler and more affordable. Fare-free weekends alone have generated nearly 200,000 extra journeys.

More bus lanes and better bus stops

But Portsmouth’s transformation goes far beyond timetables and ticketing. The city has invested heavily in infrastructure, with new bus priority corridors and red surfacing to reduce lane misuse, and signal-based priority is planned to be delivered in the next year to keep services moving. While corridor-specific patronage data is still emerging, the overall growth in ridership and reliability suggests these measures are making a real difference.

Bus stops across Portsmouth are receiving an upgrade to boost accessibility, visibility, and passenger confidence. A city-wide audit has driven improvements at 578 stops, including adding new Portsmouth Buses flags, live update QR codes, and targeted CCTV at selected stops for a safer, more connected journey. The Revive programme is refurbishing 251 shelters, cutting emissions by 94% compared to full replacements. Real-time information displays now cover over 90% of stops, with audio buttons and text-to-speech features built in.

Accessibility has been a central focus. Portsmouth’s bus accessibility audit identified key barriers, from low kerbs and narrow entrances to inconsistent boarding experiences. The city responded with inclusive design across its network, including a Super Stops programme to deliver 27 enhanced bus stops in key locations in the city, rolling out from September 2025, which support integrated multimodal travel to deliver a consistent, high-quality passenger experience. Stops will include features like defibrillators, WiFi, rental e-scooter docks, and living roofs. These aren’t just bus shelters, they’re community assets.

Hassle-free Park and Ride

Alongside the above changes, Portsmouth’s Park and Ride facilities have been key to enabling people to complete journeys into town by bus. Marketed as a means of helping people to visit Portsmouth and enjoy the city without the hassle of parking, Park and Ride has seen record success, achieving its highest-ever August passenger numbers, with over 78,000 passenger trips over July and August.  The success has been possible through a combination of targeted marketing, and a reliable and welcoming experience for Park and Ride customers.  Park and Ride customers also benefit from group and family-friendly fares, flexible payment options, staff supported parking during busy weekends, and hop-on, hop-off access to key destinations.

Making buses the attractive choice

Reflecting on the city’s approach, Paul Walker, Head of Passenger Transport at Portsmouth City Council, said:

“We’re a team that delivers and we can show results, that’s why our overall journey numbers are the best for city recovery in England. We do that through working with our operators and giving them confidence; by acting as one collegiate team that delivers together and that can have difficult conversations and an element of understanding. We are delivering the benefits of franchising at £10 million less per year cost to the public purse.”

Portsmouth’s work has earned national recognition, with awards from the UK Bus Awards and CIHT, and features in transport publications. But the real impact is felt on the ground, where more people are choosing buses for their daily journeys, and finding that they work better than ever.