NOTTS bus passengers are set to enjoy faster, more punctual and more reliable services thanks to a new agreement between transport operators and local authorities.
Under the Bus Punctuality Improvement Programme (BPIP), bus companies and councils have formally pledged to work together in order to continuously improve services to customers over at least the next five years.
And at 10am on Monday, November 21, at Nottingham’s Victoria Bus Station, the media are invited to attend the launch of the programme, hop on a bus for a tour of the local road system - and see buses waved off with chequered flags!
Present at the launch will be representatives of all the partners in the Bus Punctuality Improvement Programme.
These are: Nottinghamshire County Council, Nottingham City Council, Nottingham City Transport, Trentbarton, Stagecoach East Midlands, Lincolnshire Road Car and other operators represented by the Confederation of Passenger Transport.
Under the improvement programme, which covers bus transport across the whole of Nottinghamshire, the target for ‘reliability’ of all scheduled bus journeys is set at 99.5%
Meanwhile, the target on punctuality is for 95% of all buses to depart from their terminus no more than one minute early and five minutes late.
Although most services across the county already attain or exceed these figures, they are being formally set as targets as part of the punctuality programme. Bus operators who fail to attain the targets can be fined.
Another target is to increase average bus journey speeds by at least 10% over five years.
This, and other targets, will be made possible by a wide-ranging package of measures over the five-year period. These will include more bus priority lanes, bus lane enforcement, real-time information displays and tracking and increased co-operation between councils and bus operators in order to avoid delays caused by roadworks.
This means that councils will notify operators in advance of any roadworks which could cause delays to their services, allowing operators to make changes to bus times and routes in good time.
The punctuality improvement agreement will be formally established in March 2006, when detailed objectives will be set out to cover the period 2006-2011 of the next Local Transport Plan.
The improvement programme will be comprehensively monitored by the partners in order to ensure that services are improved. Ultimately, this should attract new passengers to public transport and so minimise the growth of traffic congestion.
Nottinghamshire County Council Cabinet Member for Environment, Stella Smedley said:
“Nottinghamshire is already rated as one of the best authorities in the country for public transport provision. Our aim in this project is to build on this reputation by increasing passenger confidence in the reliability and punctuality of their local bus services.
By working in partnership with the bus operators and other councils we are sure that we can achieve further improvement in the county’s already excellent public transport network.”
Nottingham City Councillor Brian Parbutt, who is Chairman of Nottingham City Transport, said: “Punctuality and reliability are the key issues for bus users and potential bus users. Operators and local councils working alone can’t achieve improvements in these services.
We need to co-operate to ensure that operational and highways priorities work effectively. This can help deliver bus services of the highest standard which offer real travel choices as an alternative to the car. Our whole transport network, for all users, will benefit as a result.”
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