Local Sustainable Transport Fund

Two new bus services – focussed on boosting tourism and local employment – will be launched in Rutland during the next few months.

A tourism bus, which it’s hoped will also prove popular with local residents, will operate a regular service, 7 days a week linking sites around Rutland Water with both Oakham and Uppingham.  It will include space to allow passengers to take their bikes on-board.

The employment bus will link local towns (Oakham, Stamford, Melton and Corby) with major employers within Rutland at times to fit in with shift patterns. The exact timetable is being developed in partnership with local employers.

Council Leader Roger Begy: “This is one of the most significant years for public transport in Rutland as we start to see the rewards of our successful £4 million transport bid for government funding.  The tourism and employment shuttle bus services are just the first step of a much bigger project which will eventually include a transport interchange.”

Councillor Begy added: “Tourism is big business for Rutland and we needed to find a way of linking our main attraction (Rutland Water) with the two market towns. This new services will make it easier than ever before to move around Rutland with or without your bike. It will be quite possible to park your car at Rutland Water, cycle a bit of the reservoir, and then visit both Oakham and Uppingham for lunch and a bit of shopping.”

Councillor Begy also said: “One of the major problems in a rural area is how people who cannot drive get to work outside of the main commuter hours. If you need to be at your employment for 6am but do not have a car then that could prevent you from taking that job.  The new employment bus will fit in with shift patterns and link towns to our major employers.”

Last year (2012), Rutland County Council was awarded £4 million to introduce the new tourism and employment bus services, as well as develop a new transport interchange in Oakham town centre.

The transport interchange will be completed by 2015 and will provide easier access to all forms of travel including train, bus, taxi, cycle hire, as well as a ‘wheels to work’ scheme.

For the latest information on the project, please visit http://www.rutland.gov.uk/

View/Download: Rutland County Council Final Bid and Supporting Documents