MORE than £1.25million is to be pumped into improving bus links to rural areas of Lancashire.

The cash was announced as part of the Government's annual transport allocations for unitary and county councils in charge of improving the use of public transport.

Lancashire County Council has benefited from £1.2million for improving rural bus services, while Blackburn with Darwen gets £62,000.

The announcement comes just a month after Lancashire's pioneering Bowland Transit scheme, which provides an on-demand rather than timetabled service to Ribble Valley communities, won a national award.

Coun Jean Yates, in charge of transport at Lancashire County Council, said: "Our aim is to make bus services as accessible as possible to as many people as possible.

"The Bowland Transit scheme is an example where we have broken the mould.

"These villages may not have supported a bus service on a timetable, but by creating an on-demand one, we get people on public transport.

"That is a scheme we want to repeat elsewhere."

In total, Lancashire County Council has been given £25.87million to help deliver the latest phase of its local transport plan.

That includes everything from improving cycleways to maintaining roads, and some of the money will be spent on developing the East Lancashire Rapid Transit system.

It will also support the development of the new Burnley central railway station, and the continuation of plans for a new Accrington railway station.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has received £3.43million to spend on transport projects, although it has already secured £9million for the new Freckleton Street bridge, due to be completed in 2008.

It has made improving the A666 between Blackburn and Darwen its main priority for the next year.

Transport secretary Alistair Darling said: "The money announced means the country can continue to invest in improvements to local transport schemes, from better buses to safer streets."