Local MP Robert Largan called on the Transport Minister, Andrew Stephenson MP, during Transport Oral Questions, to work with the Mayor of Greater Manchester and Derbyshire County Council to ensure places like High Peak can benefit from the new bus franchising scheme.
The High Peak MP’s question to the Minister was:
“What steps his Department is taking to improve transport connections in rural areas.”
The Transport Minister answered:
“Through schemes such as the Beeching reversal fund and the national bus strategy, we are determined to ensure that rural areas have the transport links they need to grow and prosper.”
Pressing his case for improved bus routes, Robert Largan MP asked:
“After five years, Andy Burnham is finally getting on with franchising bus services in Greater Manchester, and this is a step that I broadly welcome. However, there are many towns, like Glossop, Hadfield and New Mills, that are just outside Greater Manchester and rely heavily on cross-border bus services. Does the Minister agree that the Mayor of Greater Manchester and Derbyshire County Council need to work closely together to ensure that my constituents are not forgotten in any changes to bus services, and that we should take this opportunity to improve local bus routes, including delivering a badly needed direct bus from Glossop and Hadfield to Tameside General Hospital?”
In response, the Transport Minister encouraged local authorities to work together for the good of the High Peak:
“I thank my hon. Friend for being such a great champion of active travel across his constituency of High Peak. Of course, it is for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to determine the geographical area of the franchising scheme. Local transport authorities may also join together to produce joint plans and should seek to do so where local economies and travel-to-work areas overlap significantly. He makes a strong case, and I certainly hope that the local authorities in question will listen to him.”
Robert Largan MP commented:
“Buses are an essential part of our everyday lives in High Peak: helping people to travel to work, get children to school, and visit our town centres. But some improvements are desperately needed for our local bus routes.
“It is good news that the new £3 billion National Bus Strategy will help create faster, quicker, and cleaner bus journeys, but we need the Mayor of Greater Manchester to work with surrounding communities like the High Peak to benefit from these changes.”
