Our plan for developing bus services
Our initial Bus Service Improvement Plan was published in October 2021 with a further revision in October 2022 and the current version, adopted in April 2024.
View or download our Bus Service Improvement Plan (PDF)
Since we adopted our initial Bus Service Improvement Plan and subsequent revisions, we have started to deliver many schemes and improvements in conjunction with bus operators and key stakeholders..
The Bus Service Improvement Plan measures
Short term (2021 to 2022/23)
Since the receipt of DfT funding in early 2023, we have delivered:
- improvements to services on certain key corridors
- centralisation of production of all timetables and roadside bus stop publicity, support to operators to deliver better publicity, along with CBC produced timetable booklets in various areas
- a ‘Days out By Bus’ scheme and booklet to encourage increased bus usage
- significant improvements to bus shelters and real-time information
- a passenger charter and a bus users’ forum
- a comprehensive review of highway ‘hot spots’ to identify locations which slow the progress of buses down
Moving forwards, we are already working towards:
- introducing multi-operator, multi-journey ticketing and ultimately, fare capping and tap on, tap off payments
- introducing lower fares for young people
- installing systems to give buses priority through traffic signals
- assisting bus operators to employ new bus drivers and engineers through a bespoke training scheme
- the remediation of highway ‘hot spots’ to improve the flow of buses on the road network
Long term (2025 and beyond)
In the long term, we plan to:
- develop rural interchange hubs, allowing more connecting journeys to be made
- provide zero emission buses on the Luton-Dunstable busway network, to benefit the wider area
View or download our Bus Service Improvement Plan (PDF)
What happens next?
Central Bedfordshire Council have an ongoing Enhanced Partnership between ourselves and the bus operators. The Council and bus operators meet every two months as an EP Board to discuss ongoing BSIP works and develop future ideas and plans for all aspects of bus service delivery. This is also supported by a Stakeholder Forum meeting made up of key stakeholders such as colleges, NHS trusts and rail operators. A Bus Users’ Forum also meets on a quarterly basis.
An Enhanced Partnership is an agreement between the Council (as the local transport authority) and local bus operators to work together to improve local bus services. It includes a clear vision of the improvements that the partnership is aiming for and accompanying actions to achieve them. We have formal responsibility to maintain the partnership and can only proceed with proposals made if there is the support and input of local bus operators and other board members.
We were required to publish an Enhanced Partnership Plan & Scheme detailing how we intend to improve bus services across Central Bedfordshire. Our Enhanced Partnership Plan was published on 6 February 2022 and then updated on 9 December 2022 following further discussions with DfT and our Partnership Board members. A further update has been published in April 2024. The Partnership Plan should be read in conjunction with the Central Bedfordshire Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).
View or download our Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme (PDF).
In April 2022 we were pleased to be offered indicative funding of £3.724m over the years 2022/23 – 2024/25 to implement the measures identified in our Bus Service Improvement Plan. This funding allocation was confirmed in November 2022 and we received the first instalment of funding early in 2023, with a further tranche received in September 2023 and a third amount expected in September 2024.
Contact us
If you have any questions, please email us.