Council pledge to improve public transport means more buses on the road

Seven new bus routes have been introduced in Stoke-on-Trent to make it easier for residents to get around the city.

Some of the additional services are completely new and some are existing routes which will now run into the evenings and at weekends. They are in addition to the service improvements which were introduced by the city council in May.

The new routes are:

• Service 6A (Blythe Bridge – Meir Park – Meir – Longton – City Centre) – additional early morning buses on weekdays, operated by First Potteries.
• Service 9A (Tunstall – Mill Hill – Bradeley – City Centre) – a new service operating every 30 minutes during the daytime Monday to Saturday, operated by D&G Bus, starting on 11 November. 
• Service 11 (Longton – Stoke – Newcastle) – later evening buses on the Longton to Newcastle section of route on Mondays to Saturdays, operated by D&G Bus.
• Service 19/19A (City Centre – Sneyd Green) – new routes serving Cobridge Health Centre, providing a direct link along Leek New Road to and from the Sneyd Green area, operated by Stanton’s of Stoke.
• Service 21 (City Centre – Stoke – Trentham) – new hourly Sunday service operated by First Potteries.
• Service 22 (Longton – Blurton – Trentham – Royal Stoke University Hospital – Newcastle) – a new hourly Sunday service, operated by First Potteries, and further buses operating later into the evenings on Mondays to Saturdays, operated by D&G Bus.
• Service 43 (City Centre – Milton – Baddeley Green) – new hourly Sunday service operated by First Potteries.

Councillor Finlay Gordon-McCusker, cabinet member for transport, infrastructure and regeneration, said: “Improving the city’s transport links is a key priority for Stoke-on-Trent City Council and is part of our wider vision of creating a healthier, wealthier and greener city for all.

“Now we want to build on our commitment to improving public transport in the city by putting on even more new services which will make it easier for residents to get to work, college, their jobs and our city centre.”

Cllr Gordon-McCusker added: “Earlier this year, we announced new routes which run more frequently and operate at the weekends. We also recently helped to introduce routes like the number 42 bus in Norton after listening to residents who say they have been cut off for many years.

“We want to see these services continue for as long as possible, so I encourage all residents across the city to make use of our buses and ensure that these routes are sustainable for the long term.”

David Brookes, managing director of D&G Bus, said: “The bus operators of Stoke-on-Trent, in collaboration with the city council, have worked together as part of the Enhanced Partnership to introduce these new routes, funded through the Bus Service Improvement Plan.

“The partnership has been a tremendous success, and we are proud to have been part of it. The introduction of these routes, alongside the Affordable Fares scheme and other improvements, such as enhanced bus stop infrastructure, are all positive outcomes from the partnership that will further elevate and improve public transport in Stoke-on-Trent.”

The new bus routes are part of the city council’s Bus Service Enhancement Scheme, part of the wider Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) which is being funded by £31.6 million from the Department for Transport (DfT).

Already, BSIP has seen the launch of the incredibly successful Affordable Fares scheme, which offers discounted bus tickets to adults and young people, and improvements to more than 180 bus stops around the city.

The next phase of the Bus Service Enhancement Scheme will see a tender produced for more new bus routes in the city, including proposals for daytime buses to the Middleport area and later, evening buses for Abbey Hulton, Blurton, Chell and Norton.