Commentswanted on'bus vision'changes

PUBLIC transport bosses have urged people in Doncaster to have their say on an improvement plan which aims to get more people on to bus services in the town.

The number of passengers on buses has dropped dramatically in recent years, a problem blamed on the poor quality of vehicles and changing timetables.

Doncaster’s “bus vision” has been drawn up by the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive and includes a redrawn network and plans for a simplified fare structure.

Huge amounts of public money have been spent in and around the town on bus infrastructure, including a 250m project to build the new town centre Frenchgate interchange.

The controversial A638 quality bus corridor, which links park and ride sites at Woodlands in the north and Rossington in the south also cost 15m, and further work on an east-west route is planned.

Public transport planners believe that to get the best value from these schemes, more people must be encouraged to use buses, and something must be done about quality of services.

Funding has yet to be earmarked, and some of the improvements may be paid for with further increases in fares, or using council tax contributions made through Doncaster Council.

SYPTE said its aspirations for Doncaster included “wholesale changes” to the bus network, with accessible, environmentally friendly buses and real-time information at stops.

David Young, SYPTE director of customer experience, said: “We believe these proposals are achievable and would make a real difference to the quality of bus services in Doncaster.

“But we want to know what the people of Doncaster think about our proposals, so that we can make them as responsive to people’s needs as possible.”

The proposals are available to view online at www.busvision.co.uk where email comments can be made. Comments can also be sent to Bus Vision, Freepost NEA3487, Sheffield S2 5ZQ.