As part of the council’s plans to improve services and make life easier for residents, bus operators are being invited to bid for tenders to operate new and extended services across Stoke-on-Trent.

The first phase of tenders being advertised are proposed to enhance and introduce the following routes until 31 March 2026:

• Service 6 (City Centre – Longton)
• Service 8 (Ball Green – Norton – Smallthorne – City Centre)
• Service 11 (Longton – Bentilee – City Centre)
• Service 23 (Blurton – Stoke – City Centre or Newstead – Blurton – Stoke – City Centre)
• Service 26 (Bentilee – Berry Hill – City Centre or Park Hall – Bentilee – Berry Hill – City Centre)
• Service 36 (Meir – Longton – City Centre – Burslem – Tunstall – Kidsgrove)
• Service 36A (Meir Park – Longton – City Centre – Burslem – Tunstall Kidsgrove)
• Service 50 (Longton – Pool Dole (Fenton) – City Centre or Lightwood – Longton – Pool Dole (Fenton) – City Centre)

Companies have until midnight on Wednesday 28 February 2024, to make a submission. Each bid will be considered by a case-by-case basis.

The routes listed above are only the proposed routes and are subject to change. They may not reflect the final services.

Councillor Jane Ashworth, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “We are committed to improving our local transport network as part of our vision of making the city a healthier, wealthier, safer, greener, cleaner and fairer place for all who live and work here.

“We want to work with the bus companies to introduce additional journeys which run more frequently and operate at the weekends. This will help to open up key employment sites and make it easier for everyone – from students to pensioners – to use public transport. We ultimately want to increase the number of people using public transport and make it as easy as possible to travel around the city.

“These tender opportunities are the very first step in getting these bus service enhancements in place and I would encourage all of the local bus companies to submit a bid. I am really looking forward to announcing the successful tenders later this year.”

Councillor Amjid Wazir, deputy leader and cabinet member for city pride, enforcement and sustainability, added: “Building on our highly successful Affordable Fares scheme, which we launched last year, we are really pleased to announce these tender opportunities.

“People have told us that the lack of buses at key times is a big issue. We hope that bus operators will get onboard so that we can make it easier to get around our city, get to school, college, work or leisure facilities and make the most of what Stoke-on-Trent has to offer.”

The Bus Service Enhancement Scheme forms part of Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s wider Bus Service Improvement Plan which is being funded by £31.6 million from the Department for Transport (DfT).

It follows the launch of the Affordable Fares scheme back in July which offers significantly discounted fares to passengers across Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle.