A PLAN to improve bus services in Warwickshire has been drawn-up.
Warwickshire County Council (WCC) has reacted to the government’s National Bus Strategy by producing the county’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).
The plan sets out improvements needed to transform bus services in the county, while also supporting WCC’s bid to central Government for a £150million share of the £3billion funding available to local authorities to help boost bus travel by 2025.
The plan has been developed collaboratively with local bus operators following engagement with the local community and other partners.
This included a county-wide survey with more than 1,500 responses, engagement with user groups and interviews with stakeholders.
The initial targets set in the Warwickshire BSIP focus on increasing passenger satisfaction, achieving passenger growth, improving punctuality and reducing journey times.
WCC and the bus operators will now start work on an Enhanced Partnership (EP) Plan and schemes based on the content of the Warwickshire BSIP by April 2022. Once agreed, the programme of high and medium priority schemes will be delivered within a three-year timeframe.
The public will once again be invited to have their say, with a consultation likely to commence in December allowing local people to provide further comments on bus services to shape and finalise the Enhanced Partnership Plan and the first EP schemes, which must be formally agreed with bus operators by April.
When finalised, the Enhanced Partnership Plan arising from the Warwickshire BSIP aims to include fully integrated bus services< with more frequent and reliable services and a better fleet of buses, together with the availability of simple multi bus operator tickets, and ‘tap in / tap off’ fare payment to make travel simpler.
WCC transport spokesman Coun Wallace Redford said: “Warwickshire can achieve great things when we work together.
“We’ve worked in partnership with local bus operators to produce an ambitious plan for our bus services which we hope will enable us to deliver a reliable, sustainable and reasonably priced bus service for local people that can support our retail and leisure economy and help people get to work.
“The pandemic has put our public transport network under strain and passenger levels are below where they should be. By delivering the plans outlined in the BSIP, we will improve our air quality and encourage more people to travel in a sustainable way.”
Visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/directory-record/6878/warwickshire-bus-service-improvement-plan for full details of the Warwickshire BSIP.
