More than 1,500 miles a day of extra bus services have been introduced to North Lincolnshire in a year-and-a-half.
The figure emerged when North Lincolnshire Council‘s cabinet discussed progress made on the area’s Bus Service Improvements Plan (BSIP) earlier this month. This plan involves focus on extensions to existing and new bus services, bus network infrastructure improvements, and reduced fare schemes.
More than a dozen services in North Lincolnshire have been extended or introduced since May 2023. And from January to March 31, there will be a trial of extra weekday services on the x4, which runs between Scunthorpe and Brigg via Scawby and Greetwell.
A senior councillor raised concerns, however, about the impact of the government’s upcoming raising of the bus fare cap, to £3. This begins in the New Year.
Extra bus services across North Lincolnshire
The council’s original BSIP was approved by the Department for Transport in October 2021 and an update approved in June. The council submitted the plans, but in close partnership with the area’s major bus operators, Stagecoach East Midlands, Hornsby Travel and East Yorkshire Buses.
The renewed plans include aims for additional and extended services, a rollout of digital display boards to key bus stops by March 31, 2025, and bus disruption surveys. These are to work out points where buses are losing their punctuality, explained Conservative Cllr Tim Mitchell, cabinet member for connectivity.
He told cabinet there had been a focus on increased services at weekends, evenings and in rural areas. There were 14 new or extended services to date. These include:
- Extra runs on Sundays and bank holidays for service 4, Scunthorpe to Brigg
- Extra runs on weekdays for service 10, which serves Burringham and Scunthorpe
- Extra evening runs on service 90, between Scunthorpe and Crowle
- New late night evening journeys for service 350, between Hull and Scunthorpe.
Noting a number of changes only recently made, Cllr Mitchell said: “The complete impact on passenger numbers and activity will not be known until the next financial year.” As well as extra services, the BSIP has seen several reduced fare schemes brought in. These include a £1 fare scheme for 5-19 year olds in the summer holidays and October half term, which will occur again over the Christmas holidays, and £1 fares for all bus users on Saturdays this month for travel within North Lincolnshire.
But from 2025, the national bus fare cap is rising to £3. Cllr Mitchell warned it would affect people. “Make no mistake, this is a significant travel cost for many of our residents.” The Labour government has previously defended the change as still ensuring millions of people can access affordable bus fares. Unless it was renewed, the £2 bus fare cap introduced by the previous government was planned to be withdrawn at the end of 2024.
(Image: LDR)
Sustainability of services raised
Labour Cllr Mashook Ali asked: “Can you reassure us that the bus service will be a sustainable service?” He noted the temporary nature of changes, such as the future x4 Scunthorpe to Brigg extra services, only guaranteed for three months. All extra services brought in under the BSIP will only definitely run until up to March 2026, some ending earlier.
Cllr Mitchell stated in reply the council only had one more year of confirmed BSIP government funding. This was despite numerous feedback given on the need for long-term sustainability. The council was awarded in November £2.7m BSIP funding for 2025/26.
As part of collaboration between operators and the council, there is also a North Lincolnshire bus passenger charter. This provides a collective commitment to work as a partnership and for operators to provide bus services that meet passenger needs.
“Recently, we put the bus charter into very good use in robustly holding to account one of our major operators,” Cllr Mitchell stated in the meeting. This was because of what the council felt was inadequate service.
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Original artice: https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/all-about/scunthorpe
