Have your say on bus service improvements in Norfolk
16 May 2022
2022
A consultation has been launched today asking for residents’ views on bus services in Norfolk. Whether you use buses every day, or not at all, Norfolk County Council would like to know what improvements are the most important for you.
With Norfolk set to be awarded almost £50m from the Department for Transport to make the county's bus services and facilities better, your views will help to decide what the money should be spent on.
In October 2021 the County Council published Norfolk’s Bus Service Improvement Plan which outlines the ambitions for the next 5 years. The plan includes ideas to; simplify ticketing and journey information, cut fares for under 25s, bring in cleaner and greener buses, improve accessibility and bus stops, and make better and more frequent links between the places people live, work and shop.
Cllr Martin Wilby, Cabinet Member for Highways, Infrastructure and Transport, said: “Public transport is a vital service in our rural county, and this money will go a long way in us improving services for everyone in Norfolk. We want to see public transport that makes it easier for people to get around and helps to keep our market towns and urban centres vibrant and accessible. Getting more people using buses and other more sustainable transport options is key to us achieving our Net Zero ambition.”
The indicative offer of £49.6m for Norfolk will help to put this plan into action and the County Council is now working alongside bus operators to shape details of what the money will be spent on. A vital part of this is understanding what is important to residents, and what will help to attract more people to choose public transport for their journeys more often.
The Bus Service Improvement Plan consultation is open for seven weeks from today. (Tuesday 17 May – Tuesday 5 July) and you can take part by visiting https://norfolk.citizenspace.com/consultation/bsip/ . The questions are split into two sections and should take no more than 15 minutes to complete. Part one is about general use of buses and the barriers to people using them. Part two asks for views on the Bus Service Improvement Plan and the priorities within it.
