Warwickshire County Council is very pleased to announce the launch of the new Warwickshire Enhanced Partnership for Buses.
The Warwickshire Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) set out how the County Council will use the framework of an Enhanced Partnership with all the County’s bus operators to deliver an ambitious vision for travel by bus in Warwickshire.
The vision for bus travel in the County will be achieved through the introduction of measures aimed at helping to achieve the growth in bus passenger numbers and increased bus modal share aspirations set out in the National Bus Strategy for England (Bus Back Better), which was published in March 2021.
Bus travel in the UK has been in decline for a number of years in the run-up to COVID-19 in 2020, and the Pandemic further impacted heavily on the number of journeys being taken on buses and passenger numbers.
However, bus patronage in Warwickshire has steadily increased over the past year as the industry continues to recover from the pandemic and people regain confidence in using public transport.
The first activity of the Enhanced Partnership will be a multi-channel marketing campaign set to launch in 2023 promoting the benefits of bus travel to residents. Alongside this marketing campaign will be promotion of the Department for Transport’s £2 single adult fare cap pilot which will be running between January and March 2023 with the aim of supporting people during the cost-of-living crisis.
Cllr Wallace Redford, Warwickshire County Council Portfolio Holder for Transport and Highways said: “The new Warwickshire Enhanced Partnership for buses is fantastic news for our residents, businesses and the diverse range of bus operators that we have in the County.
“Bus passenger numbers have noticeably increased since the pandemic, however, there is work to do in further increasing bus patronage to pre-pandemic levels and beyond. Buses remain the most utilised public transport mode in the county and remain a fantastic and viable option for travel across Warwickshire. Not only are they cost-effective – and will be even more so with the introduction of the £2 single adult fare cap pilot, which begins in January – they are also much better for the environment, promote social inclusion and provide more health benefits compared to car travel.”
For more information about public transport in Warwickshire, visit: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/public-transport
Christmas and New Year bus service levels can be found here: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/news/article/1612/christmas-and-new-year-202223-bus-service-levels-in-warwickshire