Long term planning key to city’s supported bus services
Supporting deprived communities and school children to access bus services will be the focus of a report being discussed by councillors next week.
The Transport and Sustainability committee will be asked to approve recommendations which will help the long-term planning of the city’s supported bus services.
At the moment, the council supports 8 routes which help local communities move around the city but wouldn’t otherwise be financially viable for local bus operators.
We also fund a network of 8 school bus routes, operated by Brighton & Hove Buses, helping get children to and from city schools.
The committee will be asked to extend the school buses contact until September 2025 and to procure and award 4-year contracts for the other supported services, with an option of extending them for a further 4 years.
Working with our local bus operators, it means we can review services and address rising costs and budget pressures in the long term.
More information can be found in the report.
Supporting communities
Councillor Trevor Muten, chair of the Transport and Sustainability committee said: “These changes mean we’ll be in a much better position to plan how we support our local communities in the long term.
“Costs are rising, budgets are extremely tight, and we must make some very tough decisions, so it’s vital we provide money to areas which need it most. Our priority is to support those communities which need access to jobs, education, and health services.
“Buses are a great way to get around the city, but they also provide an important lifeline to so many people by helping prevent isolation and connecting them with vital services, family, friends and communities. This is why we prioritise supported bus services that best serve residents and communities in our city.”
Bus Service Improvement Plan
In spring 2022, we were awarded £27.9 million by the Department for Transport to support our Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).
The BSIP funding has allowed us to run some of our supported bus services later, longer and more frequently, including the 37 and 37B Compass services and the 16, 47 and 52 Big Lemon services.
We’ve also been able to offer lower fares for families and young people.
BSIP funding, however, is due to end on 31 March 2025.
