Nottinghamshire County Council says it will be saving 19 bus services which could have faced the axe. However some level of uncertainty remains as decisions on the future of a number of unfunded routes are yet to be made by operators.
The Conservative-led council will be funding the routes using money from the Government’s Bus Recovery Grant, set up to finance routes which had typically struggled to regain the passengers lost amid the coronavirus pandemic, as well as existing council-held transport funding.
Funding for bus routes will last, initially, until April 2023 and comes on top of £4.1m given by the council to support a further 80 bus routes each year. One such service which has been saved is the 141 in Sutton, after a petition was set up by the Ashfield Independents.
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However the authority says bus companies, which include trentbarton and Stagecoach, are expected to make "further commercial decisions" on other routes across Nottinghamshire in the coming week.
These routes are not funded at present. As such uncertainty over these as-of-yet unnamed routes remains and the bus operators have been contacted for more information.
Councillor Neil Clarke, the council’s cabinet member for transport and environment who represents Radcliffe-on-Trent, said: "I’m pleased that the council and the Government have teamed-up to help passengers to continue to use these bus services.
“Many residents will use these services for work, shopping and seeing friends and loved ones - and older members of our community find them especially valuable. We’re all aware of the many challenges faced by the bus and coach industry after the worst days of the pandemic.
“I’m glad that the council can still play a crucial role in providing the investment to keep bus services running smoothly across our county. We will be reviewing these services in partnership with the bus companies over the autumn, as well as looking at our existing supported network to look at longer-term options after next April.
“It is vital that residents try to use the bus more frequently across Nottinghamshire, as it will provide us with evidence and a clear need to continue funding bus travel. Using the bus more will help continue to keep bus services running across Nottinghamshire now and in the future.”
The 19 funded routes include;
- 141 - Sutton in Ashfield, Skegby, Mansfield, Rainworth, Blidworth, Hucknall, Bestwood, Nottingham
- 6 (Worksop) - Worksop, Gateford, Shireoaks, Rhodesia, Worksop
- 7 (Worksop) - - Worksop, Gateford, Shireoaks, Rhodesia, Worksop
- 1 (Mansfield Miller) - Sutton in Ashfield, Huthwaite
- 1 (Mansfield Miller) - Mansfield Woodhouse, Mansfield,
- 53 - Mansfield, Pleasley, Bolsover, Sheffield
- 90 – Newark, Nottingham
- 37 - Retford, Tuxford, Sutton Trent, Newark
- 90 - Sutton, Kirkby, Selston, Ripley
- Connect in Hucknall Green Line - Hucknall estates
- Connect in Hucknall Blue Line - Hucknall estates
- The Cotgrave - Cotgrave, West Bridgford, Nottingham
- Rushcliffe Mainline - Bingham, Radcliffe, West Bridgford, Nottingham
- Rainbow 1 - Nottingham, Eastwood, Heanor, Ripley or Alfreton
- Rushcliffe Villager - Bingham, Newton, East Bridgford, Shelford, Gunthorpe, Radcliffe, West Bridgford, Nottingham
- 20 (Sunday Service) - Heanor, Ilkeston, Stapleford, Beeston, QMC, Nottingham
- 9 - Loughborough to Nottingham
- 46,47 - Woodborough, Lambley, Mapperley, Nottingham
- 18 - Stapleford, Beeston, Nottingham
