Plymouth councillors urged to get on the bus

It's to show support for government funding

Plymouth councillors are being urged to travel by bus to meetings to show their support for a £4.3 million investment in the city’s public transport by the government.

Cllr Mark Coker (Lab, Devonport), the city council’s cabinet member for strategic planning and transport, questioned how many of the 53 members at the full council meeting this week came by bus or transport other than cars.

“If we are really serious about climate change, everybody in this building (the council house) and beyond should be using our bus services,” he said.

He said the Department of Transport’s investment is the largest he had known a government to make in buses in Plymouth.

The money is in addition to the £1.6 million previously awarded from the government’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) Phase 2 fund and another £10.3 million to deliver zero-emission buses in the city.

The council will use the funding to deliver against nine passenger priorities in the services that are frequent; reliable and fast; affordable; direct and connected; accessible; safe; simple and understandable; modern and clean.

The council has until April to decide how to use the money. Cllr Coker said they are waiting on clarification from the government as funds are coming from three separate pots.

Cllr Coker said the secretary of state realised the bus industry was in a precarious state following covid and routes had been lost throughout the country.

“This is a really good settlement for Plymouth and regardless of your political party you should be supporting the announcement,” he told councillors.

Previous funding allocations have paid for a citywide public transport map; cleaning and upgrading bus stops, refreshed bay markings; and improvements in security and signage at Coypool park and ride.

More frequent buses have been provided, as well as new routes and links to businesses and healthcare and leisure facilities, the council claims.

In addition, the Royal Parade bus improvement scheme has been designed to reduce congestion and improve the reliability of buses to and from the city centre by increasing the number of bus stops on the eastbound side.