Southern Vectis is working to identify ways of making sustainable transport more accessible to those living in local housing developments.
A new report by Transport for New Homes – backed by motoring group, the RAC Foundation – has criticised planners for allowing edge of town housing estates where car travel is the only option. And the operator is looking to provide better access to bus services.
Southern Vectis’ Managing Director, Andrew Wickham, has said:
“We contributed to the recent report by Transport for New Homes, which found that – amongst other things – new homes are not properly connected for pedestrians, cyclists or buses.
“Often, planners and housebuilders overlook the need for public transport connections on new-build sites – leading to ‘bubbles’ of isolation for those without cars.
“The development process of many new estates makes it difficult to run buses to and from them. We are working with Transport for New Homes, RAC Foundation and other interested parties, to encourage more consultation with bus companies at the very beginning of development.”
Often, new housing estates are ‘retrofitted’ with poorer quality bus services, which have little chance of being commercially viable in the long run – so the report suggests bus operators should be consulted during planning applications.
Andrew adds:
“There is also a need to change the way sites are selected for development. This includes developing sites on the edge of existing urban areas to allow for more sustainable transport options.
“We are keen to work with developers early on, to help with the design and layout of new sites so we can better serve them. We also agree with the report’s findings that local bus service improvement funding would be better spent on new developments – rather than on new strategic road connections, which often swallow up the majority of cash available.
“A single double decker bus has the potential to take up to 75 cars off the road – and that means this form of travel really can be the perfect solution to reducing congestion and improving air quality. We are playing our part in encouraging more people to leave their cars at home – by investing in the very newest buses and enhancing our services on the Isle of Wight.
“Now it is time to take this one step further by working with others to improve access to bus services for all – including those living in future new build developments.”
