PLANS for an innovative bus link connecting parts of Teesside have won £721,464 boost from the Government.

Stockton Borough Council and Arriva have been awarded the funds for a service between Stockton and Ingleby Barwick with Middlesbrough and the James Cook University Hospital, providing vital links across the district.

Known as MIBuS, the half-hourly route will use four modern buses with a host of revolutionary features designed to attract car drivers back on to public transport.

The low-floor MIBuS vehicles will be fitted to look more like cars than buses, withleather seating and double glazing, along with the possibility of on-board information displays and sockets for charging mobile phones.

Welcoming the funding from the Government's Kickstart scheme, Stockton council's cabinet member for the environment, Bob Cook, said: "This will give local bus services a boost and show the high standards we are striving to achieve to make buses a realistic and an attractive alternative to the car.

"The MIBuS service will make it easier for staff, outpatients and visitors living in Stockton to get to the regional facilities at the James Cook University Hospital and, at the same time, provide Parkfield residents with a readily accessible bus service.

"It will also provide a new bus service for Ingleby Barwick and the expanding Preston Farm Industrial estate, connecting people with job opportunities."

A further innovation proposed, although still subject to consultation with residents, is the possibility of a new bus gate to allow the service to link Parkfield Road and Bowesfield Lane, in Stockton. The scheme would use rising bollards that would allow only buses to pass, with the route remaining closed to other traffic.

Buses that are running late may also be given priority at traffic lights.

Arriva's Steve Noble said: "We are delighted to have the opportunity to work in partnership with Stockton council to provide a state-of-the-art bus service that caters for the needs of the passenger and makes best use of new technology to make buses more attractive and reliable."

Stockton was one of 43 schemes to receive Government support from 117 bids submitted.

Transport Minister Karen Buck said: "This is great news for bus users, who will benefit from faster and more reliable services with better waiting facilities and improved journey experiences."

The service is expected to begin next summer.