Rutland County Councillors are to consider ambitious plans that aim to transform local bus services in the coming years – making it easier for more people to use public transport to get around.
Rutland has a well-established local bus network that links towns and villages around the County. Most services receive a subsidy or financial support from the County Council at a cost of more than £550,000 each year. This level of funding is needed because Rutland has a relatively low number of fare-paying bus passengers and longer than average trip distances, leading to higher operating costs.
As part of long-term plans to transform public transport services, Full Council on Thursday 26 September will be asked to adopt a refreshed Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) – something that all local authorities are required to produce by the Department for Transport (DfT).
The BSIP will help Rutland County Council make further progress against several of the priorities in its corporate strategy, which aims to improve public transport links and opportunities for greener forms of travel, as well as investing in infrastructure to support communities and the local economy. Work is already well underway to improve local transport in-line with these commitments, including the purchase of new Council minibuses and the development of plans to expand Rutland’s network of electric vehicle charging points.
Among the ideas and initiatives contained in the BSIP, Rutland County Council is proposing to introduce the following changes to local bus services in 2024/25:
- free travel on all local bus services during December
- free bus travel for young people during the summer holidays and additional bus services during the school holidays.
- piloting the expansion of a Countywide Demand Responsive Travel (DRT) service via a trial in Spring 2025
From 2025 the Council will maintain its efforts to provide a bus network while seeking additional funding to introduce:
- evening and Sunday services
- a programme to improve and replace bus stops and shelters
- a youth ticketing scheme to reduce fares
- more electric buses
- more free travel initiatives
“Public transport will never be the answer to everyone’s travel needs but there’s more we can do in Rutland to make buses a viable alternative for a larger number of people. It’s also important to remember that public transport is a lifeline for those who don’t have access to a car – it’s not just a ‘nice-to-have’.
“Residents have told us they’d be more likely to use buses if they were more frequent and went to more places at the right times. They also want better journey information, improved waiting facilities and cleaner, more environmentally friendly vehicles. This feedback has formed the basis of our Bus Service Improvement Plan, which aims to enhance passenger experience and the overall quality of service they receive. This is no small task and won’t happen overnight. Our BSIP details the initial improvements we want to make and we’re excited about what it could mean for public transport in the County.”
Cllrr Christine Wise, Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Communities
The refresh of Rutland’s BSIP comes after the DfT issued guidance to all Local Transport Authorities in England, requesting that they complete a review of their current BSIP and submit an updated document by June 2024.
Rutland has been allocated just over £739,000 of BSIP grant funding, which must be spent on local transport services. BSIP funding of £253,280 was allocated by Rutland County Council in 2023/24. The remaining £486,280 will help to support the development of Demand Responsive Transport Services between 2025 and 2027.
“We want to trial Demand Responsive Transport as a different approach that could help us overcome some of the challenges we face when trying to operate buses in a rural area. By introducing smaller, flexible modes of transport, we believe we can reach more people more easily and provide a better level of service in towns and villages.”
Cllr Christine Wise
In accordance with DfT guidance, Rutland’s BSIP contains targets around journey times, reliability, passenger numbers and customer satisfaction, which will be used to measure performance. The BSIP also includes proposals for a new Passenger Charter to ensure that bus users receive a consistently high standard of service.
The agenda and reports for Full Council on Thursday 26 September, including Report 103/2024 (Revised Bus Service Improvement Plan) can be read in full on the Council's website by visiting our Meetings page.
For more information about current local bus services in Rutland, including operators, timetables and routes, please visit our Transport pages.