Councils drive for more rural bus services
BUS priority lanes at traffic lights, harsher enforcement of “inconsiderate” parking on bus routes and more frequent services could be on the way for Derbyshire.
Hydrogen-powered buses could also become a regular site on the county’s roads.
Derbyshire County Council is bidding for £95 million in Government funding to drastically improve bus services in the area - particularly for rural communities.
This would, in theory, result in more frequent buses at times outside of the regular 9-5 and at a cheaper price.
All of this hinges on a formal agreement between the county council and bus companies in Derbyshire, including Stagecoach, Trentbarton, Hulleys and Midland Classic.
This would see the county council gain more of a say in what routes are provided and at what times, on which days and for what price.
At the moment, this is all down to the companies themselves.
Council officials hope that through a formal “enhanced partnership”, the authority and companies can agree on which routes must be provided as a necessity even if they are not profitable. The Derbyshire bus improvement plan was discussed in a county council meeting last week.
Cllr Barry Lewis, county council leader, said the current situation was “frustrating” because residents would ask the authority to improve bus services, but this responsibility fell to the companies themselves.
Cllr Garry Purdy, leader of Derbyshire Dales District Council, said: “We have been trying for years to get this set up and we have had lots of bus routes dropping off.”