Agenda item

To receive a report on Better Buses in Telford & Wrekin.

The Cabinet Member: The Economy presented the report of the Director: Neighbourhood & Enforcement Services.

The report outlined the progress the Council had made to improve bus travel and connectivity across Telford and Wrekin and sought approval to procure new bus services from July 2025 to ensure the bus network remains fit for the future.

At its meeting in October 2021, the Cabinet approved the creation of an enhanced partnership and received an update on the development of a Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) as required by the National Bus Strategy. The Council entered into an enhanced partnership agreement on 1 April 2022 which sought to bring together the Council, bus operators and user groups to focus on increasing patronage, improving services and delivering transformation.

Following extensive consultation with service users, the Council tendered seven new bus routes with the first launched in December 2022, commonly known to residents as the Work Express. These new routes have completed over 400,000 passenger trips with fares capped at £2 for an adult and £1 for a child. The Work Express provided connections for residential areas including Sutton Hill, Woodside and Brookside to employment sites at Hortonwood, Halesfield and Stafford Park and operated from 5am to 11pm seven days a week and with an average of 12,800 passenger trips a month. The other six services improved connectivity in rural areas linking Newport and Wellington as well as urban services linking Lawley and Lightmoor with the Town Centre and Wellington.

In November 2024, the Council received £3.5m grant funding which would be used in the 2025/26 financial year to support new tendered services and infrastructure upgrades such as new bus shelters and the expansion of real time passenger information through the Citymapper app in order to maintain connectivity while seeking opportunity to enhance the existing bus network.

Cabinet Members welcomed the report highlighting the success of the Work Express and how council-led bus services have significantly improved transportation options, especially in rural and underserved areas of the Borough by designing routes based on residents' needs. Members praised the positive impact the new services had had on communities, including better access to work, school and healthcare and commended the council's efforts to ensure public transport had been made more accessible and affordable, reducing reliance on cars and supporting climate change goals.

The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group was pleased to hear that funding for bus services would remain with the possibility of increase in funding in the near future and commended the Council for recognising how vital the bus network is for the Borough’s residents. He asked if the bus service in Shawbirch could be considered for improvement following a recent reduction in services offered by Arriva.

The Leader of the Conservative Group welcomed the report and asked if details of the new services including costs would be reported back to Cabinet when available and if alternative provisions could be made available to residents who may be unable to access the new Citymapper app.

The Cabinet Member: The Economy confirmed that bus timetables would still be made available to residents in bus shelters and that the Citymapper app would be an additional service to enable residents to check their journeys in real-time and plan for late or cancelled buses.

The Leader of the Council advised that further updates on the continued progress of the scheme and introduction of new services would be reported back to future Cabinet meetings.