The meeting was scheduled to discuss the achievements of North Lincolnshire Council’s Bus Service Improvement Plan, which was approved by the Department for Transport in October 2021 and updated in June 2024.

Achievements of the Bus Service Improvement Plan

Councillor T Mitchell (Cabinet Member for Connectivity), Kate Robinson (Head of Economy), and James Lawson (Senior Public Transport Officer) were scheduled to attend the meeting to discuss the plan.

The report pack for the meeting contained an update on the achievements of the Enhanced Partnership Board and the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).

The board is a partnership between the council and local bus operators set up to improve bus services in North Lincolnshire. The BSIP is a plan that was submitted to and approved by the Department for Transport.

The plan included provisions to:

• Add new bus services
• Review the maintenance, repair, and servicing of bus infrastructure
• Implement Section 22¹ Community Transport in North Lincolnshire
• Carry out bus disruption surveys
• Introduce reduced fare schemes, and
• Add extensions to existing services

The report identified a number of proposals related to bus services that were recommended by the board.

New and Extended Bus Services

Several new and extended services have been introduced since the approval of the BSIP, including:

• Additional services on Sundays and Bank Holidays on Service 4 from Scunthorpe to Brigg
• A revision of the Service 10 timetable to include additional services from Burringham to Scunthorpe.
• Additional evening services on Service 90 from Scunthorpe to Crowle
• A new Saturday Service C4 for the South and East of Brigg
• Extensions to Service 260 to incorporate South Killingholme, North Killingholme, and East Halton.
• Two new Section 22 Community Transport routes:
  • Route 96 between Barton and Brigg
  • Route 97 on the Isle of Axholme between Garthorpe and Wroot.
• Additional journeys on the 350 service to Hull.
• Additional evening journeys on Service 103 to Kirton in Lindsey.
• Additional journeys on service 357 from the Isle of Axholme to Doncaster.
• Additional evening journeys on service 359 from the Isle of Axholme to Doncaster.
• Additional services on Sundays and Bank Holidays on Service 6 in Scunthorpe.
• An extension of Service 4 to Normanby Hall on Saturdays.
• Sunday and Bank Holiday journeys on the 7 and 8 services to Skippingdale Retail Park.
• An extension of the X4 service to include additional trips between Scunthorpe and Brigg via Scawby and Greetwell.

Improved Maintenance of Bus Infrastructure

The BSIP has also funded improvements to bus infrastructure including the introduction of real-time displays at key stops, and new shelters and stops.

Bus Disruption Survey

A bus disruption survey was scheduled to be carried out by North Lincolnshire Council staff in conjunction with operators and drivers. The survey will be incorporated into the Bus and Traffic Working Group.

Reduced Fare Schemes

The BSIP has also funded a number of reduced fare schemes, including:

• A £1 fare scheme for young people aged 5-19, which ran over the Summer Holidays and October half term and is scheduled to run again over the Christmas school holidays.
• Super Saturdays - a £1 fare to be offered to all bus users on Saturdays in December for journeys within North Lincolnshire.

Marketing Campaigns

The council also committed to running several marketing campaigns to promote public transport across North Lincolnshire.

North Lincolnshire Bus Passenger Charter

A North Lincolnshire Bus Passenger Charter has been developed as part of the Enhanced Partnership.

The Charter sets out a collective commitment to work as a partnership and for operators to provide bus services that meet passenger needs and expectations across the area. Performance related to the Charter is also monitored by the Board regarding passenger numbers and punctuality. - Bus Service Improvement Plan Achievements

Funding

The council has been allocated a total of £2,059,758 to fund the BSIP. This includes £547,379 for 2023/24, £547,379 for 2024/25, and an additional £965,000 for 2024/25.

Outcomes

The new and extended services have created 1,551 additional passenger miles per day.

Most of the enhanced bus services have not been operational for a full year and therefore the complete impact of these enhancements on passenger numbers and overall connectivity will not be known until next financial year. BSIP passenger numbers in 2023/24 were 1,684 and from April-October 2024/25 passengers are at 32,924. - Bus Service Improvement Plan Achievements