£3 billion bus revolution to benefit passengers across the Moorlands
'We very much want to work with the district and parish councils about how we can build on the existing Moorlands Connect service'
A new bus strategy is to benefit residents in the Staffordshire Moorlands.
The announcement by the Government of a revolutionary new bus strategy, backed by £3 billion of investment, will see passengers across the Moorlands benefiting from more frequent, more reliable, easier to use and understand, better coordinated and cheaper bus services.
The news been welcomed by Staffordshire Moorlands MP Karen Bradley.
Alongside the new bus strategy, the Government has also announced that Staffordshire Moorlands District Council will receive £1,038,091 as part of its £20 million Rural Mobility Fund, designed to trial on demand responsive transport in rural and suburban settings – such as mini buses booked via an app – where a traditional bus service isn’t appropriate.
David Williams, Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for highways and transport, said he was delighted by confirmation of the authority’s successful bid to the Department for Transport (DfT) to fund the £1.038 million scheme in the Staffordshire Moorlands.
Three wheelchair-accessible 16-seat minibuses with bike racks will be bookable by phone, online, or by phone app six days a week – plus Sundays in summer.
Mr Williams said: “This will make a real difference to residents living in the more rural areas – particularly those who don’t drive or have access to a car and struggle to reach nearby towns for medical appointments, work and education.
“People will be able to book the service and have guaranteed connections to key bus interchanges with a single ticket structure at affordable prices.
“We very much want to work with the district and parish councils about how we can build on the existing Moorlands Connect service and integrate this expansion with the local bus network.”
The money will also fund work at interchanges, including improved shelters and lighting and, where possible, the introduction of real time passenger information.
Work will also be carried out with the Peak District National Park to support tourism in the area but reduce reliance on cars at the most popular destinations.
The funding from the Rural Mobility Fund was announced alongside the National Bus Strategy which aims to introduce more frequent, more reliable services with easier, affordable ticketing policies.
Mr Williams said: “In normal times there are around 15 million bus journeys a year in Staffordshire and we have strong working relationships with local operators, so we will look at this new initiative with interest to see how it may benefit the county’s residents in the long term.
“We know that the pandemic has knocked commercial transport and as the economy recovers we want to see the return of a strong, resilient bus network.
“We will study the detail when it arrives to make the most of any opportunities, particularly where we may replicate successful bids such as the one won this week.”
This new funding will make a significant positive impact on the lives of people living in more remote communities across the Moorlands by boosting their local transport links, as well as providing valuable insight into an innovative approach to bus travel.
Mrs Bradley said: “I stood on a manifesto at the last General Election that promised to level up and improve transport connections across Staffordshire Moorlands and this boost to our local bus services will help to deliver on that promise.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Buses are lifelines and liberators, connecting people to jobs they couldn’t otherwise take, driving pensioners and young people to see their friends, sustaining town centres and protecting the environment.
“As we build back from the pandemic, better buses will be one of our first acts of levelling-up.
“Just as they did in London, our reforms will make buses the transport of choice, reducing the number of car journeys and improving quality of life for millions.”
