Campaigners secure unanimous backing to improve bus travel around Nottinghamshire
Campaigners secure unanimous backing to improve bus travel in Notts
Nottinghamshire’s Conservative County Councillors have secured unanimous support for its campaign to improve concessionary bus travel, after councillors voted in favour of a Conservative motion calling for discussions with the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) on removing the weekday 9:30am restriction on concessionary bus passes.
The agreed motion requests that Nottinghamshire County Council’s representatives on EMCCA, open discussions with the Mayor to explore removing the weekday restriction as part of a wider review of discretionary concessionary travel across the region.
It also calls for consideration of the funding required to introduce free all-day travel for concessionary pass holders, taking inspiration from successful schemes in areas such as Greater Manchester, and for the issue to be scrutinised through EMCCA’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
Conservative Councillor Andy Brown (Leake & Ruddington Division), who proposed the motion, said: “This is a fantastic result for concessionary travel users across the East Midlands, however, I’m naturally disappointed that Reform felt the need to amend what was already a strong and straightforward Conservative motion for what appeared to be political gain. But today’s result is much bigger than politics.
“What matters is that the Council has unanimously backed the principle of improving concessionary bus travel and agreed to take this forward with EMCCA. That is a significant step forward and one that I welcome.
“Too many people currently face unnecessary barriers when trying to get to early hospital appointments, volunteer in their communities, support family members or simply travel when they need to. Today’s decision means this issue cannot simply be ignored.
“I look forward to seeing how these discussions progress and I will continue pressing for regular updates until we see this policy fully implemented.”
Conservative Councillor Richard Butler (Cotgrave Division), who seconded the motion, said: “This campaign has always been about making concessionary travel work better for the people who rely on it every day. Today’s unanimous vote sends a clear message that there is widespread support for exploring a fairer, more flexible scheme.”
The Conservative Group says it will continue to work constructively with partners across the region while holding EMCCA to account for delivering improvements to concessionary bus travel for Nottinghamshire residents.