Bus Service Improvement Plan year one funding to be received this month

North East Lincolnshire Council and its delivery partner, Equans, have received confirmation that £837k of the £4.7m funding from the Department for Transport (DfT) to deliver the Bus Service Improvement Plan for year one, will be received by the end of March. This is the first part of the funding and further funding is expected to follow in the future.

The confirmed schemes for the Bus Service Improvement Plan so far, include:

• Introducing a Tap On, Tap Off service – a more convenient way to pay without the need to ask for a specific ticket. Passengers will use contactless payment to tap on the bus as they get on and then tap off when they leave.
• Real time information service
• Recruiting a parking enforcement officer
• Installing CCTV at Grimsby bus station
• Reducing bus fares for young people

The council’s Bus Service Improvement Plan is developed in partnership with Stagecoach East Midlands and transport consultant SYSTRA.

Roads Minister Richard Holden said: “People up and down the country deserve a modern, reliable, and affordable public transport system. That is why we have provided North East Lincolnshire Council with £4.7 million to boost its bus services.

“Supporting the Council in initiatives such as reducing fares for young people and introducing real-time information at bus stops is great for local residents, who will now benefit and be able to make the most of the fantastic work, business and leisure opportunities North East Lincolnshire has to offer.”

Councillor Stewart Swinburn, portfolio holder for environment and transport, said: “This funding will help to make transport more accessible for our communities, as well as improving passenger experience. We look forward to seeing these interventions come to life as we hope they encourage more people to travel by bus which will help us to transition into a more sustainable future.”

Jonathan Ford, senior transport officer at Equans, added: “I’m looking forward to playing a key role in executing the Bus Service Improvement Plan. The ideas already confirmed will help make people’s bus journeys much more convenient, easy and safe. We believe this will help to increase passenger numbers and encourage people to choose a more sustainable way to travel.”