By Joe Locker, Local Democracy Reporter
Bus services in Nottingham struggling to recover from a slump in passenger numbers will be propped up by a Government grant.
Nottingham City Council says some routes are not being used enough to make them profitable, partly because journeys have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels.
The council has released a list of 21 services which will benefit.
A total of £11.4 million is being provided to help keep them going and also build new bus lanes and other public transport infrastructure.
The Labour-run authority says the funding “provides a welcome boost as the public transport network continues to recover from the impact of the pandemic”.
The council is expected to accept the funding and discuss how it will be spent next week.
In a report released ahead of a meeting on the spending, the council adds: “In addition to the investment in new bus infrastructure, a number of bus services that are at risk of withdrawal will be supported and enhanced to maintain attractive levels of frequency, open up new connectivity and return to higher levels of commerciality as new travel and work patterns continue to stabilise and consolidate as part of the recovery from the impact of the pandemic.”
The grant money will come from the Government’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP), which aims to make bus services across the country more efficient and sustainable.
In 2020 the Department for Transport asked local authorities to draw up a BSIP and a number were then selected to receive grant money.
Nottingham and Nottinghamshire were two of 31 successful local authorities, with the former receiving £11.4 and the latter £18.7m.
The city council report says: “It will help the network realign to the new levels of bus patronage which are currently in the region of 80 to 85 per cent of the level of bus use before the pandemic hit and grow patronage going forward.”
The grant money will be accepted during a meeting of executive councillors on Tuesday next week (October 18).
Some of the schemes will include investment in bus priority on busy roads as well as new bus lanes, subject to public consultation.
Among the work planned is a £2.5m bus priority network on the A6002/A611 Moor Bridge Roundabout (Hucknall Lane/ Moor Bridge Road).
Some at-risk services will also be supported, while £375,000 will go towards the mobility concession for city residents travelling before 9.30am, £70,000 on a jobseekers’ fare scheme, and £450,000 on youth fares for young people age 21 and under.
“The development of the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP)…was delivered following public consultation in partnership with Nottinghamshire County Council and liaison with local bus operators,” the council added.
“Feedback from the public consultation was then used to identify areas of congestion and pinch-points that impact on bus reliability and extend journey times.
“This feedback was then translated into schemes that support government objectives around bus priority and take into account public views on the importance of reliable and punctual bus services, fares initiatives, ticketing improvements and bus route development to support better connectivity.”
The services which will be supported or enhanced include;
- NCT 3, Clifton to City via Ruddington Lane: NCT will divert journeys into Silverdale, and south Wilford which would be without a service following the
withdrawal of CT4N services 22/23. There are over 700 homes which would be without a public transport service within 400 metres. - NCT 10, Ruddington to City: This service will receive interim support, in order that the current frequency can be retained for an area where passenger numbers are expected to grow back to previous levels over time.
- NCT 11, Lady Bay to City via the Meadows: This service will receive interim support, in order that the current frequency can be retained for an area
where passenger numbers are expected to grow back to previous levels over time. - NCT 15, Rise Park to City: This service will receive interim support, in order that the current frequency can be retained for an area where passenger numbers are expected to grow back to previous levels over time.
- NCT 39, Carlton Valley to City: This service will receive interim support, in order that the current frequency can be retained for an area where passenger numbers are expected to grow back to previous levels over time.
Residents in Thorneywood Mount and Gordon Road rely on this service. - NCT 40, Edwards Lane Estate to City Hospital, City: This service will receive interim support, in order that the current frequency can be retained for an area
where passenger numbers are expected to grow back to previous levels over time. - NCT 49, Boots, Queens Drive P&R, Riverside Retail Park, City: Service provides key links to employment areas around Riverside Retail Park and to Boots, and serves the Queens Drive park and ride. With greater flexibility in work patterns reducing demand it is proposed to support a reduced frequency (every 20 minutes).
- NCT 50, Victoria Park, A612, Racecourse P&R to City: Service links expanding Waterside area of Nottingham with the city centre.
- NCT 53, Clifton to Arnold via Basford, Radford and main hospitals: This is the main ring road service, allowing orbital journeys to take place to key destinations. The route provides some key links within Clifton Estate and the Whitemoor and Valley Road areas that would not otherwise be served. It also provides links for school children at those times of day. This service is already providing additional links within Clifton, at Lark Hill, Summerwood Lane and the Sunninghill Drive area. Additional funding is currently required to support this service.
- NCT 56/57/59, Arnold to City via Plains Estate: This service will receive interim support, in order that the current frequency can be retained for an area
where passenger numbers are expected to grow back to previous levels over time. The service provides secondary links away from the main road to housing estates east of the A60. - NCT 70/71, Basford, Bulwell to City: This service will be supported at a 20-minute frequency (currently 15 minutes), as an interim measure. The service provides links into the Bagnall Road area of Basford and also to Norwich Gardens and Sandhurst Road in Bulwell, areas that would not otherwise be served.
- NCT 88, Top Valley to City: This service will receive interim support, in order that the current frequency can be retained for an area where passenger numbers are expected to grow back to previous levels over time.
- Trent Rainbow 1, Alfreton – Ripley – Eastwood – Nottingham: This service will receive interim support, in order that the current frequency can be retained for an area where passenger numbers are expected to grow back to previous levels over time.
- Trent i4, Derby – Sandiacre – Nottingham: This small level of support will retain journeys on a Sunday morning for shift changeovers at QMC.
- Trent The Twos, Ilkeston – Trowell – Nottingham: This service will receive interim support, in order that the current frequency can be retained for an area
where passenger numbers are expected to grow back to previous levels over time. - CT4N 18 (Nottingham – QMC – Beeston – Stapleford) and Trent 20 (Nottingham – Beeston – Heanor): These services will allow services to operate to Stapleford, Bramcote and Beeston Rylands, which wouldn’t otherwise be served. CT4N 18 will be Monday to Saturday and Trent 20 will be on Sundays.
- Marshalls 90, Newark to Nottingham: Small contribution to continue this long distance service.
- NCT 50, Victoria Park, A612, Racecourse P&R to City: Service enhancement to provide evening and Sunday services to growing Waterside area.
