Bus Users has been working with the North East Joint Transport Committee to bring more bus services and cheaper fares to communities in County Durham.
New priority infrastructure, improvements to bus stations and 250 replacement shelters are also planned with £160 million received through the region’s Bus Service Improvement Plan.
Dawn Badminton-Capps, Bus Users Director for England, sits on the Bus Partnership Board for the North East and has been sharing her knowledge and expertise of both national and local transport needs.
Dawn’s priority has been to ensure that passengers are fully involved in the process and that improvements genuinely benefit local communities and boost passenger numbers: “The work being done by the North East Joint Transport Committee including Durham County Council will transform bus services across the region. Not only will this improve access to transport, it will attract more people onto greener, more sustainable transport options.”
Cllr Elizabeth Scott, Cabinet member for economy and partnerships, said: “There are some really exciting things planned that will greatly enhance the experiences of bus passengers in County Durham. We are putting the money towards laying on more bus services, making it easier for people to travel, be that to work, shop, attend health appointments or for leisure and socialising. We will also be introducing good value fares to bring the price of travel down for people which we hope will help in some way with the rising cost of living.â€
Cllr Scott added: “We hope our plans will benefit not only the travelling public but also the environment by reducing car journeys and therefore carbon emissions.â€
As part of the government’s National Bus Strategy, regions are required to develop an Enhanced Partnership and produce a BSIP. In the North East, responsibility for both lies with the North East Joint Transport Committee, which is made up of representatives from the county council and other authorities in the region. The transport committee has published its BSIP for the region and the government has confirmed indicative funding for it of £163.5m.
For more information visit Durham County Council