Public transport is to be overhauled in Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Office yesterday announced a new transport authority is to be established and will be linked to the reform of local government already announced.
The plans also allow for greater involvement in public transport provision by the private sector.
The government is already pledged to cut the number of local councils in Northern Ireland from 26 to seven in an attempt to streamline local government and to make economies.
Regional development minister David Cairns said: "We are about to create seven new councils across Northern Ireland. We want them to have more powers and more say in the lives of the people they represent," he said.
"We are now going to create a passenger transport authority, made up of representatives from those local authorities, who are going to have much, much greater say in how local transport is designed in their local areas across Northern Ireland."
Some £400 million (€580 million) over the next three years is pledged to improve public transport infrastructure.
Mr Cairns said Translink, the company which oversees public transport, will retain its leading role. But he added that private sector operators would have increased scope to widen passenger choice.
"Translink will continue to be the main providers of public transport services," he said.