County Councillors are meeting next week to discuss proposals to launch Demand Responsive Transport services in Nottinghamshire.
Members of the Transport and Environment Committee will also receive an update on the announcement of further Government funding to support the bus sector, including indicative Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) funding.
Following its successful bid for £1.5 million from the Government’s National Bus Strategy Rural Mobility Fund in 2020/2021, Nottinghamshire County Council is seeking Councillors’ endorsement of plans to introduce Demand Responsive Transport pilots this summer.
Initially piloting in and around Ollerton and Mansfield, plans have also been submitted to launch the service in Rushcliffe in the autumn, reports West Bridgford Wire.
The new Demand Responsive Transport services will not follow a fixed bus route or timetable, instead they will operate on a fully flexible, on demand basis, allowing residents to travel to any destination within the operating area.
If required, the service will also take passengers to destinations outside the operating area to enable them to connect with traditional, fixed route bus services.
Journeys will be bookable in advance by phone, online or via an app.
Councillor Neil Clarke MBE, Chairman of the Transport and Environment Committee, said “We welcome the news of additional indicative funding for our Bus Service Improvement Plan(s) and are looking forward to working with the Department for Transport to develop proposals that will allow us to continue to build on, and improve our bus network and infrastructure.
“As a Council we are committed to getting people back on public transport following the Covid-19 pandemic. The proposals for the new Demand Responsive Transport service offer an exciting opportunity to deliver measurable improvements in public transport, providing an invaluable route to travel in areas that are not currently served by our bus network. They also support the Council’s environmental ambition to become carbon neutral in all our activities by 2030.
“Local members will be invited to hear more about, and to comment on, the proposals in due course. However, I am confident that, if approved, these pilots will enable the Council to build on its current high passenger satisfaction ratings, as well as helping to shape future local bus investment choices and priorities, including the use of Bus Service Improvement Plan monies.”
