I continue to work with Derbyshire County Council and local bus service providers to improve the local bus network across the Bolsover Constituency. This was an area of concern when I was elected in 2019, but sadly existing issues have only been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. In recent months I have met with the Managing Director of both Stagecoach and Trent Barton, so please rest assured providing better bus services is a massive priority for me.
Personally, I would like to see simpler fares, new buses, improved routes, and higher frequency services to make everyday journeys easier and more convenient. I often look in envy at other countries who have faster, cheaper, and more reliable journeys than the UK.
I also think that there is more work to be done on existing services and lowering the cost for customers. That's why I very much welcome the Government's recent cap on bus fare's!
Ultimately, I think we should be doing all we can to reduce the use of motor vehicles and increase public transport, but to do that we need reliable, quick, and affordable systems in place, which as you can hopefully appreciate is no quick-fix and is a requires a more long-term approach to transport and infrastructure in the region, which I think could be further helped by the creation of an East Midlands Mayor who would have more money and powers to invest in local public transport systems like Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester or Andy Street in the West Midlands.