A bus lane running all the way around Coppins Bridge is one of the hopes for a new partnership between the Isle of Wight Council and Southern Vectis.
More bus lanes, reduced journey times and cheaper fares are other ambitions.
Trying to bid for a slice of £3billion of government ‘Bus Back Better’ funding, the 2 bodies have created a ‘Bus Service Improvement Plan’ (BSIP) for the Island in a ‘once in a generation opportunity’.
The council agreed to form an enhanced partnership earlier this year and have since had talks with the bus operators and other travel bodies in the wider region to discuss the plans, ultimately drawing up a list of ambitions, commitments and targets.
Southern Vectis created a list of 116 proposed service network improvements which it viewed would help the overall bus service.
They included fixing poor quality bus shelters, adding more stops to Newport Bus Station which is currently at capacity and creating physical priority for buses on the Island’s roads, by bus lanes, proposing a ‘Fairlee Bus Transit Route’ using the former railway lines to stop buses getting stuck in traffic on Fairlee Road and one all the way around Coppins Bridge.
Agreeing with the bus operators, who are part of the wider Go South Coast organisation, the council has included some of its points in the BSIP, which sets out the ‘high-level vision’ and key interventions to offer passengers a better service.
Altogether there are 36 targets in the BSIP, addressing some of the service’s weaknesses, including:
- Reducing average bus journey times by 5 to 10% by 2025
- Introduce a bus priority scheme around the Island by 2040
- Work on the perceived lack of value for money
- Improving the reliability of services with 90% of buses running on time
- Increase the frequency of buses in rural areas to encourage 25% more bus journeys from rural locations by 2040
- Double the number of tourists travelling on buses, from 11% in 2017 to 20% in 2040.
An ambition of the BSIP is to modernise buses, focusing on charging points as WiFi connectivity is proving unreliable due to the network reception in various parts of the Island, and decarbonise the fleet.
The Isle of Wight Council’s cabinet is being asked to approve the BSIP at its meeting next week before it is submitted to the government by the end of October.
Councillor Phil Jordan, cabinet member for transport, has said:
“The aspirational list of improvements suggested by Southern Vectis form part of future discussions as we develop the Enhanced Partnership with them.
“The list of works that are that are part of the cabinet paper are not agreed works, nor are they part of any discussions or details we have had to date. It would be wrong to take any item from the list and assume it is going to be delivered or will happen over the next 20 years.
“The list is an operational heads-up of issues raised by the bus provider. They will form part of discussions, as we jointly work towards finding the final strategy for the Enhanced Bus Partnership and then on into the future until 2040 as we work to improve public transport for our Island.
“Suggestions of bus lanes being built at Coppin’s Bridge, for example, are simply not being discussed at this time.
“We have much work as we continue too improve our transport services on the Island and we are working hard, and with clear direction, to deliver a sustainable and better service which more people will want to use.
“Talking at this stage about the final detail of how we do that is very premature indeed.
“There is every chance that road infrastructure talks about Coppin’s Bridge will take place long before we start discussions on bus lanes there.”
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!
The last load of bus lanes wrecked the flow of traffic around newport.
Thats why you have to drive for miles round one way systems to get a short distance.
Coppins bridge is a nightmare at the best of times, this is just another stupid idea in the name of money. Just like the St Marys roundabout disimprovement scheme.
Soon the traffic won’t move at all.
I can’t imagine why you’d want to drive around Newport unless arriving or leaving a parking place. Park and walk.
I deliver takeaway food in the evening time so would be difficult to park and walk but still we all have to navigate around the place at some point. Especially Coppins Bridge. Tad difficult to park and walk around that one!
Sadly ALL of you are NOT seeing the bigger picture here. The Governent want to end private car ownership for the masses, so that they and their ilk can drive on uncongested roads once more, whilst we are forced onto public transport with the vile life, or wobble about on electric cycles exposed to the elements.
That is WHY they are making life harder for cars and easier for public transport, to suit them, so they can tavel easily in luxury whilst our lives regress.
We must not let this happen, yet they do in under the ‘green guise’ and you lot fall for it all.
Imagine the chaos if there was a bus lane all the way round Coppins Bridge. It can’t cope as it is. the only answer is a north south and an east west bypass around Newport, but that would cost millions.
The, then Council, missed the opportunity for a south east by-pass, which was proposed by many, to take a road from a roundabout at Shide up to the top of Staplers around the outside of the ongoing major development, instead we have a ‘traffic calmed’ mess of a road going through the middle of the estate.
The perceived lack of value money? My mate from Portsmouth came over to the island one day, and on the way back to the ferry it stopped for about 40 minuets in the middle of no where because it had run out of fuel. When he got back i told him that was a common occurrence, to be let down by the “service” they provide. I’m 30 soon and still bitter about when they took away the 50p rider for the youth.
Surely by making one lane a bus only lane that would reduce the availability for other traffic around an already congested roundabout. How often would this bus only carriageway be used compared to all other traffic requiring this essential junction ?
Precisely
Probably one of the most stupid ideas from IOW council, would cause massive tailback’s all around Newport, many people use there cars for convenience, and buses just do not offer the same service, we should always put the majority above the minority.
Idiotic idea. Will only make traffic much worse for existing drivers – but of course that is kinda the point (or to put it another way “hidden agenda”) isn’t it – so you will be “forced” to use public transport.
The council will be delighted to make traffic chaos and then introduce a lovely money making congestion charge. Ka ching!!!
How will the buses reach their bus lanes through the chaotic traffic jams?
(Work on the perceived lack of value for money)
“Perceived” Ha it’s a true fact
Leave copings alone, obviously they haven’t seen mainland traffic jams
More bad ideas from this out of touch council. Stop wasting money on papering over cracks, build a bridge across the Medina. Traffic will decrease, then very expensive to use buses, plus motorists, who council love to milk can all get around better.
Consider that means its all ready set in stone lies lies and more lies
The Government aided by councils wish to end private car ownership for the masses.
They want the have the roads back as they were a couple of decades ago, so that they and their ilk can swish past the plebs teetering about on electric cycles, soaked to the skin, or sat in a bus alongside some drunk, druged low life wondering if they will attack you.
The rich will have fully heated, luxury electric cars, whilst we plod to a cold wet bus stop, or risk life on some stupid electric scooter, and sadly most on here fall for it, as the Gov has done this all under the guise of ‘saving the planet’ for your children.
All these extra bus journeys i believe southern vectis say go green does this mean all there buses are going to be electric
Knowing our Council they would have the buses going around Coppins bridge in the opposite direction – just like the other bus lane in the town
If you give enough money to come up with a bad idea ……. you will get a bad idea !
A Coppins Bridge bus lane is a good start, but why be half hearted about it? Add a cycles only lane, and then charge the cars for parking when they’re all at a standstill in any remaining space they can find.
Didn’t know that it was April the 1st, idiotic idea that would cause more congestion
that means the cost of bus fares will increase . its not only Fairlee Road ,but Staplers Road Traffic conjestion always ocures at Coppings Bridge , Road layout at St Marys roundabout was a complete waste of public funds, with more houses being constructed and more cars on the road, it will get worse at Copping Bridge The problem should have address at the root of the problem and not away from the problem,maybe the Council has consideration for house construction on the prison Site ?