Opportunity to back Warrington Buses as part of ‘Bus Back Better’ campaign

RESIDENTS are being given an opportunity to help shape a new plan to drive up the quality of bus services and provision across Warrington as part of a national campaign to improve services.

Warrington Borough Council is currently working with partners on the development of a Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP), which aims to make Warrington buses more frequent, faster and reliable, cheaper, easier to use and better integrated.

It forms part of the Government’s National Bus Strategy – Bus Back Better – which sets out the vision to dramatically improve bus services in England outside London, reverse the recent shift in journeys away from public transport and encourage passengers back to the bus.
All local authorities are required to have their BSIPs in place by October 2021 to be eligible to apply for a range of future funding opportunities, via £3 billion in grants committed by the Government to support the national strategy.
Now, in order to design their BSIP in a way that meets the needs of Warrington people, the council is engaging with users and non-users of local bus services to get a range of views and opinions on bus provision in the borough and where improvements can be made.
A new consultation, ‘Warrington – Bus Back Better’, has been launched at warrington.gov.uk/buses, giving people the opportunity to provide their feedback on a number of areas, including the length of wait times for buses, the proximity of their nearest bus stop, ease of bus use and value for money.
The responses to the consultation will be independently analysed, and the council will then receive a report of the findings. All feedback will be taken on-board, and will help shape Warrington’s BSIP which will, in turn, help shape the future of bus services in the borough.
Warrington Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for transportation, highways and public realm, Cllr Hans Mundry, said: “The National Bus Strategy – and the development of our own improvement plan – gives us a fantastic opportunity to transform bus services in Warrington.
“The national strategy recognises the positive role played by municipal bus operators and promises increased funding, which is great news. The potential for a substantial increase in available grants will help drive forward our work, in Warrington, to reverse the trend we are seeing across the country of falling passenger numbers, rising fares and reduced services.”
“We have set clear and ambitious targets, through our Local Transport Programme (LTP4), to treble the share of all journeys made by bus in Warrington from 5% to 15% over the next 20 years. The new national strategy will support this vision.
“It will enable us to further build on the excellent working relationships we have with all bus operators in Warrington, as we emerge from the COVID pandemic. It will also support our ongoing work, with Warrington’s Own Buses, to introduce an all-electric bus fleet.
“What’s clear is that listening to local people’s views is crucial, so we can develop bus services which meet their needs, now and in the future. That’s why we want as much feedback as possible. Anyone who lives or travels in Warrington should share their views. Get involved in the consultation, play your part in shaping our plans and help us build a better future for buses in our borough.”
In Warrington, over 85% of services/vehicles are operated by the Council-owned arms-length municipal bus company, Warrington’s Own Buses. Once the BSIP is approved, the national strategy requires that the council puts in place an Enhanced Partnership model with local bus operators by April 2022. This will enable Warrington to access the national funding of £3 billion which will be available from that date onwards.
The ‘Warrington – Bus Back Better’ consultation runs from Wednesday 7 July until Monday 9 August 2021, and the council is encouraging everyone who has views – from those who get the bus every day, to those who never use bus services – to have their say. People can get involved by visiting warrington.gov.uk/buses, where you can complete an easy-to-use, on-line consultation form.
If you would like to share your views on behalf of an organisation, please email your response to [email protected]