AROUND £1.5m looks is likely to be spent on improving buses on two Exmouth routes.

The money will pay for 10 new buses on the 57 and 58 routes, which travel between the town and Exeter.

Devon County Council's cabinet will today decide whether to agree a £500,000 contribution towards the improvements. The rest of the funding will come from bus operator Stagecoach.

The buses, which will cost £160,000 each, are part of the county council's Local Transport Plan (LTP) for 2006-2011. They will be wheelchair accessible and in line with the latest emission standards.

The proposed investment has been welcomed by environmental group Transition Town Exmouth.

Paul Strange, press officer for the group, said: "We support any move that will improve public transport reliability and affordability, as a way of reducing our CO2 emissions and the impact on our environment.

"The fleet needs updating so that the public can travel in a clean and comfortable environment, without feeling the bus is a second-class form of travel.

"If those improvements can be made, along with better branding of the 57 route, the public could then consider the bus as a practical alternative to the car."

Exmouth mayor Darryl Nicholas, said: "The 57 route is an extremely important public transport link between Exmouth and Exeter. Any improvements that can be made on this route would be welcomed."

A county council spokesman said the improvements were in line with the Disability Discrimination Act requirements that all buses must be low floor by 2017.

A spokesman for Stagecoach South West said: "We are delighted that the council continues to show support for public transport and hope customers will enjoy using the new buses when they come into service later in the year."