£1.3m boost to improve rural bus service you book on your phone
DRIVE FOR MORE ‘ON-DEMAND’ AND TAILORED TRANSPORT
A project to improve bus services in rural parts of Leicestershire is set to benefit from a £1.3 million cash injection announced by the Department for Transport.
Leicestershire County Council will receive the money to fund three minibuses that can be booked using an app on a smartphone, it has been revealed.
The money will be allocated from a £20 million fund to support “innovative, on-demand” transport services tailored to people living in rural and suburban areas, at a time more convenient for them.
It is part of the “most ambitious shake-up of the bus sector in a generation”, according to the government.
The plans were revealed by Transport Minister Baroness Vere as part of a new National Bus Strategy involving a £3 billion investment across England through the Rural Mobility Fund.
The Department of Transport said that the proposals will mean “more frequent, more reliable, easier to use and understand, better coordinated and cheaper bus services” for passengers.
A spokesman said: “Leicestershire County Council will receive £1,300,000 to fund three minibuses operating from 6am to 7.30pm, Monday to Saturday, which can be booked through a mobile app.
“The service, which would build on the area’s existing demand responsive transport, would add to conventional, timetabled bus services which are in operation.”
They added: “The funding would help people get to work, support the local economy and boost sustainable travel in the area.
“The funding allocation will allow local authorities to trial innovative projects in rural and suburban areas, where traditional timetabled services often aren’t practical.”
The changes include:
■ Simpler bus fares with daily price caps, so people can use the bus as many times a day as they need without facing mounting costs;
■ More services in the evenings and at the weekends;
■ Integrated services and ticketing across all transport modes, so people can easily move from a bus to a train;
■ All buses to accept contactless payments.
Baroness Vere said the plan would dramatically improve links between rural communities and county towns and cities, where many schools and workplaces are located.
“Buses are the life-blood of our communities,” she said. “They get us to work, to school and to see friends and family. Put simply, they help us make the little everyday journeys that make up our lives. In places where people are more dispersed, and the distance they need to travel is longer, it can be harder for traditional, timetabled bus services to truly meet their needs.
“This funding will give local authorities the opportunity to trial services that work better for communities – such as wheelchairaccessible minibuses that can be booked on an app on request.
“The schemes will help people who’ve had limited transport links for too long get to where they need to be.”