Wednesday, 22 November 2023
Residents across the county are to benefit from an improved, more integrated bus network and new Nottsbus on Demand services.
Following the outcome of the county council’s bus network review, over £5million will be invested to support, improve and deliver new bus services across the county with a clear focus on reconnecting communities and protecting services to boost access to education, health, employment, shopping, and leisure activities.
Four new Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) services covering areas of Rushcliffe, Gedling, Broxtowe, Ashfield and Newark will be developed over the next two years, building on the success of the current Nottsbus on Demand services.
These will give residents more flexibility to travel anywhere between bus stops and designated points within operating zones at a time that is convenient to them. The new DRT services are likely to replace existing scheduled services to maximise efficiencies and improve travel opportunities. These services include:
Detailed proposals for these DRT services will be developed as they are rolled out over the next two years.
Over 80 local bus services across the county will continue to be invested in at a cost of £4 million. These are services that would otherwise have been reduced or withdrawn by commercial operators because they are deemed no longer profitable.
This is on top of the £1.4 million from grant funding that was used in February 2023 to support the following 12 bus services in response to low passenger numbers following the pandemic:
The county council will also ensure that passengers can continue to travel between Nottingham and Southwell by supporting the existing Nottingham City Transport 26 service or providing a comparable alternative.
There will also be further investment in new evening bus services for Hucknall town, Newark town (DRT) and the Sherwood Arrow, along with the introduction of new routes between Mansfield Town Centre and the industrial estates where vital transport links are needed. These will be funded from the Bus Service improvement Plan government grants.
Councillor Neil Clarke, Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “Nottinghamshire residents deserve a bus network that serves all our communities.
“A lot of people don’t realise that we have no legal obligation to provide local bus services or any other form of public transport, however, we understand the vital lifeline that these buses provide to many of our residents going about their daily lives and that is why we want to fulfil our pledge that all Nottinghamshire communities should have access to the wider bus network.
“We need to ensure that people who rely on local buses for essential services can continue to access them and by filling gaps in the bus network, we hope to make local transport even more attractive, convenient and accessible to encourage more people to choose the bus instead of their car.
"The DRT services launched in the villages around Retford, Ollerton, Newark, Mansfield and west Rushcliffe have been a fantastic success and we’ve received amazing comments from customers who use the service, so we’re looking forward to rolling them out to other areas of Nottinghamshire to improve accessibility to work, training, health and leisure opportunities.”
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