GETTING more people on the buses is the aim of council chiefs in 2023.
Warwickshire County Council has launched the new Warwickshire Enhanced Partnership for Buses.
The Warwickshire Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) set out how WCC would use the framework of an enhanced partnership with all the county’s bus operators to boost the number of people travelling by bus.
Bus travel in the UK had been in decline for a number of years before Covid struck in 2020, and the pandemic further hit the number of journeys being taken on buses .
But bus use in Warwickshire has steadily increased over the past year as the industry continues to recover from the pandemic and people regain confidence in using public transport.
The first activity of the Enhanced Partnership will be a marketing campaign promoting the benefits of bus travel to residents.
Alongside this will be promotion of the Department for Transport’s £2 single adult fare cap pilot which will be running between January and March with the aim of supporting people during the cost-of-living crisis.
WCC transport spokesman Coun Wallace Redford said: “The new Warwickshire Enhanced Partnership for buses is fantastic news for our residents, businesses and the diverse range of bus operators that we have in the county.
“Bus passenger numbers have noticeably increased since the pandemic, however, there is work to do in further increasing bus patronage to pre-pandemic levels and beyond.
“Buses remain the most utilised public transport mode in the county and remain a fantastic and viable option for travel across Warwickshire. Not only are they cost-effective – and will be even more so with the introduction of the £2 single adult fare cap pilot, which begins in January – they are also much better for the environment, promote social inclusion and provide more health benefits compared to car travel.”
Visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/public-transport for more information about public transport in Warwickshire.
