What this consultation is about
We're updating the plan we have for improving bus services - the bus service improvement plan (BSIP) and as part of this are seeking feedback from resident and other stakeholders on how they use services, any problems they experience and ways to improve bus travel across the county.
We were awarded £47 million to improve bus services in 2022 and, following the award of a further £4.5 million indicative funding, is considering next steps to continue the enhancement of local bus services to March 2025 and beyond.
Recent improvements and promotions that have been funded by BSIP include:
- improvements to more than twenty bus services, including extra early morning and evening buses, some buses going from one an hour to 2 an hour
- new services and extensions to existing services have also been introduced, such as the X17 which now reaches Matlock Bath and Wirksworth and the Peak Sightseer, an open top bus which tours the Peak District National Park’s most popular destinations
- improvements at key bus hubs, such as Heanor Market Place, Bamford, Long Eaton, and Hayfield to make them better places to wait for buses, with further work planned at 14 sites
- additional real time information screens installed at over 70 locations across Derbyshire to provide up-to-date information for passengers - with further signs planned as well as improvements to bus timetable and stop information
- free travel on 6 Sunday mornings for everyone during summer 2023
- £1.50 single fares for young people aged 11 to 19 with a b_line card
- the introduction of a new demand responsive transport service in the north-east of the county
- travel signal refurbishment on bus routes in Derbyshire to give bus priority
The questionnaire is open for responses until 18 March 2024.