More than £500,000 of vital funding has been secured to drive through improvements to bus services across the Island.
The Bus Service Improvement Plan Plus (BSIP+) funding will aim to improve bus services and increase passenger numbers, which in turn will help support the local economy and reduce traffic congestion, the Isle of Wight Council said.
Some of the initial allocation has been assigned to local bus services 6 (Newport to Ventnor) and 12 (Newport to Alum Bay) which cover some of the most rural parts of the Island.
As previously reported by Island Echo, from this week, buses will start running later on these routes as extra services are added by bus operator Southern Vectis.
Routes 6 and 12 will now finish later, on weekdays and Saturdays. The final number 6 service from Newport to Ventnor, via Chillerton, Chale, Niton and Whitwell, used to leave just before 18:00 and the Route 12, from Newport to Alum Bay, via Shorwell, Brighstone, Mottistone, Freshwater Bay and Totland, used to leave at 17:40.
Moving forward, there will be 2 additional journeys on each route leaving Newport in the evening, with the last Route 6 leaving Newport Bus Station at 22:45 and the last Route 12 at 23:10.
The return journeys for the Route 6 will leave Ventnor at 18:55 and 21:45 heading to Newport and the return journeys on the Route 12 will depart at 18:50 from Alum Bay and 21:45 from Totland heading to Newport.
These routes are among the 1st to benefit from the Enhanced Partnership between the Council and Southern Vectis with plans to improve other local bus services thanks to Department for Transport funding secured by the council.
Councillor Phil Jordan, Council leader and Cabinet member for transport and infrastructure, said:
“The £500,000 funding is excellent news for the whole of the Island — and bus passengers in particular.
“There are many benefits to bus travel, including reducing congestion, contributing to better air quality and decarbonisation, and we are working hard to ensure we maximise the funding we have been allocated and take full advantage of all of the benefits that can be delivered.”
Richard Tyldsley, general manager at Southern Vectis, said:
“Together with Isle of Wight Council, our team has worked hard to secure government funding support, which will help to make sustainable travel an even more attractive option across the Isle of Wight.
“Just 1 double decker bus has the potential to take up to 75 cars off our roads, so we strongly believe buses are the perfect solution for reducing congestion and improving air quality across the Island. The Bus Service Improvement Plan will play a significant role in achieving this.”
Welcoming the news, the Island’s MP Bob Seely said:
“Our bus services on the Island are important. Many Islanders rely on them to get to work or to see family and friends.
“This is a really good use of Government money to keep bus fares low and encourage people to use them. It’s especially important given the cost of living pressures.
“This Conservative Government funding will protect essential bus services – all part of getting a better deal for the Island.”
That will come in handy for one man and his dog. How about using the half a million to carry on subsidising the buses at £2 a trip, that will benefit everyone during these difficult financial times.
I will be very suprised if they do keep the 2 quid fare !!!
This on top of the nearly £10,000,000 that was handed to them by the IoW council(tax payer) in the last year or so too.
One bus has the potential to take 75 cars off the road? Utter rubbish! That’s like saying I have the potential to father 4 million kids. It will never happen. As soon as we can get rid of Jordan the better.
The only way to take vehicles off the road is tax them more
I would tax a vehicle due to the length of a vehicle
A family tax. Great idea.
Ending illegal imms would save even more vehicles on our roads, and millions of pounds, countless crimes, and curb future housing crisis and hospital waiting time for all the British people and imms already here, but the Government do nothing about that, which could be done without harming one single British person at all, and saving all of us a fortune and giving us all a better standard of life and a better future for our children too.
Hey everyone the racists have arrived! Here’s your cup of attention, sir.
Which comment was racist?
It’s not racist to state that we should be controlling illegal immigration. The clue is in the word ‘illegal’. Or do you just throw the R word around anytime there’s a comment you don’t like?
I’ve said it before and I say it again the council need a outside finance manger who has now way of pi** poor handling of all the cash it gets one way or another then still pleads poverty , hey council get real try living on what we get,
without funding those big pension pots and your perks easy come easy go / wasted.
Another waste of our hard earned cash.
Councillor Phil Jordan should make full use of these extra buses rather than driving home pissed.
Still waiting for a bus route to return through Havenstreet. !!
Have you ever thought that there isnt a bus down havenstreet because of the low bridge near the steam railway.
Its a 4m(13.3ft) high bridge and i believe the buses are 4.4m.
(14ft)
Single decker buses are available. I believe they’re less than 4m.
Ever thought of single deckers!
Oh and theres a bus stop at the end of stroud wood rd
No pavements no lighting just speeding vehicles!
And how much of that public money going to shareholders?
Maybe they could put some mock bus stops up in Havenstreet and we could wait at them and pretend we have a bus service.Maybe Southern Vectis boss men could arrange a survey to see the possible uptake of the ‘forgotten villagers.’Maybe they are not allowed out of the office or no single deckers are available.Come on play fair and give us a chance please.
Think I need to get me some shares in this company. Why is the council giving money to a PRIVATE company? Who are tje shareholders? Who has an interest… Does anyone think of doing a freedom of information investigation? Local press perhaps? Name names
Why are we propping up a private company???
A great plan,even better if they keep the two quid bus fare,which i very much doubt !!!
Does this extra money now mean they can afford to put the heating on in the buses this winter ?
It can feel pretty miserable sitting there in the cold with all the windows steamed up … other bus companies on the mainland do better in this respect – so come on Southern Vectis !
But according to Southern Vectis travelling by bus is wonderful. Convenient, cheap, saving the planet, blah, blah, blah.
I see there are now evening buses on the no. 6 route. How crazy that they do not serve the Buddle Inn at Niton, one place I would have thought they might find some passengers.