The government has awarded £564,000 to explore bus reforms including the possibility of franchising to the new Sussex and Brighton Strategic Authority. The Sussex and Brighton Mayoral Combined County Authority, known as the Sussex and Brighton Strategic Authority, said: “The Sussex and Brighton Strategic Authority has secured £564,000 from the Department for Transport to explore how bus services across the region could be improved. “The Bus Franchising Support Funding package includes £500,000 for the studies and £64,000 to recruit a dedicated bus reform officer to lead the work.” Labour councillor Bella Sankey, chair of the board, said: “This is an exciting investment in the future of our buses across Sussex and Brighton. “This funding fires the starting gun on potential change, allowing us to gather evidence on how our bus network could work better for residents and businesses.”