More than 20 million dollars is going into the design of a busway in southeast Auckland.

The Transport Agency's approved funding to further develop plans for the route from Panmure Station to Pakuranga.

It will shave around eight minutes off the commute between Pakuranga and Britomart, with the trip expected to take about 27 minutes.

Auckland Transport chair Lester Levy says passengers will be attracted by quicker, frequent and more reliable buses on lanes separate to traffic.