Bus Service Improvement Plan funding brings exciting changes to Central Bedfordshire’s Bus Routes
Friday, 1 September 2023
We have confirmed changes to bus routes and timetables, effective from Sunday 3 September, to help encourage more people to use bus services.
Working with bus operators Centrebus, Grant Palmer and Red Eagle, the Council are introducing a number of bus service enhancements, funded through their Bus Service Improvement Plan in partnership with the Government. The changes include:
- Grant Palmer routes 34, 72 and 74 will have a revised timetable with additional journeys on Monday to Saturday
- Centrebus route E will have a revised route and new timetable to service Sundon Road, Linmere, Chalton and Toddington
- Red Eagle route 34 will provide a Saturday service between Dunstable and St Albans, which also provides additional choices for residents in the Langdale area
The creation of the Bus Service Improvement Plan for Central Bedfordshire followed consultation with residents in 2021 which aimed to better understand what would encourage people to use buses more.
The Bus Service Improvement Plan was the first step towards an Enhanced Partnership being made between the Council and local bus operators.
The Bus Service Improvement Plan contains high-level vision and key interventions, and the Enhanced Partnership and the schemes agreed will explain in detail how the Bus Service Improvement Plan measures will be delivered, in order to grow bus patronage from the coronavirus pandemic. Central Bedfordshire Council was one of the 31 local transport authorities to be awarded funding out of over 70 local transport authorities who submitted a plan.
Councillor Tracey Wye, Executive Member for Sustainability and Climate Resilience, said:
Sustainable transport remains a top priority for our administration. These service enhancements are part of our commitment to make buses a realistic form of transport, especially in rural areas. Hopefully, the additional journeys will encourage more people to use the buses and ensure routes are viable beyond the funding period.
Roads Minister Richard Holden said:
People up and down the country deserve a modern, reliable, and affordable public transport system. That is why we have provided Central Bedfordshire Council with more than £4 million to boost its bus services. Supporting the Council with rolling out new services and improved timetables across three key local routes is fantastic for local residents, who will now be able to get to work, attend medical appointments and visit loved ones more easily.
We continue to work with bus operators to deliver further bus service improvements this Autumn that will be funded through the Bus Service Improvement Plan.
Read more information on the timetable and route changes.