Partnership introduces new Warwickshire Buses name

Warwickshire County Council and partners have introduced a new name for their bus service improvements in the county: Warwickshire Buses.

Previously known as the Warwickshire Enhanced Partnership for Buses, the group came out of the Warwickshire Bus Service Improvement Plan (WBSIP), which set out how the Council will use the framework of an Enhanced Partnership with all the county’s bus operators to deliver better bus travel for Warwickshire.

This vision for bus travel in the County will be achieved through the introduction of measures aimed at helping to achieve the growth in bus passenger numbers, which were set out in the National Bus Strategy for England (Bus Back Better), published in March 2021.

The Council reports bus patronage in Warwickshire has been steadily increasing over the past year as the industry continues to recover from the pandemic and the Council says it is keen to see this growth continue.

The Council’s plan for improving services across the county over the coming years includes:

• Fully integrated bus services on the Warwickshire Bus Network
• The availability of simple multi-bus operator tickets, multi-modal tickets and ‘tap on / tap off’ fare payment
• Bus priority measures on the local highway network
• High quality and standardised information for all passengers
• Improve and expand turn-up and go (demand responsive transport) services
• Increasing bus use through behaviour change activities that encourage modal shift
• Financial support for bus services

The Council has improved the take-up of the Stratford Park and Ride Service by over 74% over the summer months, which it claims ‘clearly demonstrates an appetite amongst the Warwickshire public for bus travel’.

“Bus passenger numbers have noticeably increased since the pandemic, however, there is work to do in further increasing bus patronage to pre-pandemic levels and beyond” – Cllr Jan Matecki, Warwickshire County Council Portfolio Holder for Transport and Highways

Cllr Jan Matecki, Warwickshire County Council Portfolio Holder for Transport and Highways, said: “Warwickshire buses is fantastic news for our residents, businesses and the diverse range of bus operators that we have in the County.

“Bus passenger numbers have noticeably increased since the pandemic, however, there is work to do in further increasing bus patronage to pre-pandemic levels and beyond.

“Buses remain the most utilised public transport mode in the county and are a fantastic and viable option for travel across Warwickshire. Not only are they cost-effective – and even more so with the £2 single adult fare cap pilot, which has been extended to December 2024 – they are also much better for the environment, promote social inclusion and provide more health benefits compared to car travel.”