Published:
5:30 AM May 13, 2021
A new structure for bus services in Suffolk will be created in the Bus Back Better campaign
- Credit: Sarah Lucy Brown
Ambitions have been outlined for how an overhaul of Suffolk s bus services will work with improved services set to be in place by April next year.
The Government s £3billion Bus Back Better campaign aims to improve services nationwide, create more joined up ticketing and become more environmentally friendly.
Suffolk County Council s passenger transport team has said that will involve a new set up called enhanced partnerships - effectively a joint effort between the council and bus operators to improve routes and passenger experiences, and is aimed at offering flexibility to meet the needs of communities.
East Riding bus services praying for passengers to return as Hull Trains relaunch limited services
Transport Director Paul Abbott said getting passengers back on buses would be an uphill battle
13:25, 16 APR 2021
East Yorkshire buses (Image: Jerome Ellerby)
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East Riding bus services have a steeper hill to climb to get passengers back after the coronavirus pandemic has seen use drop to around a quarter of normal levels.
Navigating the new National Bus Strategy
The new National Bus Strategy launched by the Prime Minister on 15 March is an opportunity to transform local bus services. For local authorities with transport responsibilities, however, it brings with it a host of new requirements and relatively little time in which to meet them.
One of the most significant of these is the Bus Service Improvement Plan which every local authority has to produce and which must be ‘driven by what passengers and would-be passengers want in their area’.
These plans must be published by the end of October 2021, updated annually and reflected in the authority’s Local Transport Plan. They need to be developed in collaboration with operators, community transport providers and, critically, the local community including residents and businesses, with a significant focus on driving improvements for passengers.