DEPARTMENT FOR
TRANSPORT News Release (152) issued by COI News Distribution
Service. 24 September 2008
Ruth Kelly,
Transport Secretary, today announced £25 million to provide new
and improved bus services across England. This will better connect
local communities with vital services - like hospitals, business
centres and colleges - and help tackle congestion and rural
accessibility by giving people more alternatives to their car.
Over the last three years the Kickstart programme has helped
councils and bus operators introduce 43 new or enhanced bus
services. This resulted in increases in local bus use and improved
the quality of bus services for local communities. For example:
* Lancashire County Council has reduced social exclusion and
improved access to local colleges, the local hospital, several
leisure facilities and supermarkets by offering new, round the
clock services across Chorley. (Kickstart award: £802,618)
* Tyne and Wear Council has established a new bus route into
Newcastle upon Tyne. This links people to major employers and
popular retail facilities and already carries in excess of 2,000
passengers a day. (Kickstart award £565,000).
* Kent County Council has connected deprived areas to the
regional centre of Canterbury. The new circular service offers
buses every ten minutes and the number of passengers using it has
exceeded all expectations - with new vehicles purchased to match
demand. (Kickstart award: £447,000) Ruth Kelly said:
"If we are to encourage more people to leave their car at
home we have to give them more choice over how they travel.
"Kickstart has already made a real difference, giving people
reliable, accessible, modern and comfortable buses and linking
them to vital local services like hospitals, employment, schools
or colleges and leisure facilities.
"That is why I am today announcing another £25 million for
the Kickstart Programme, to further improve bus services in
communities across England." Councils will soon be invited to
submit applications for the programme demonstrating how they will
work in partnership with bus operators to develop long-term and
viable schemes.
Notes to Editors:
1. Kickstart is pump-priming funding provided by the Department
for Transport for new or enhanced bus services with a potential to
become commercially or otherwise sustainable.
2. The aim of the funds is to boost local bus use, providing
alternative sustainable transport choices that encourage people
out of their cars and helping to tackle congestion and accessibility.
3. Kickstart was first introduced on a pilot basis as part of the
Urban and Rural Bus Challenge competitions in 2003 - 18 projects
were awarded nearly £8m funding. A further Kickstart competition
was held in 2005. £20m funding went to 43 schemes from 34 local authorities.
4. Over the coming months, the Department will engage
stakeholders on the details of the Kickstart scheme in preparation
for the competition to begin early next year. Guidance will be
released to accompany the competition to help local authorities
develop their applications.
5. DfT will be looking for schemes that show the potential for
sufficient patronage growth to become viable within a three-year
period. DfT will be particularly interested in proposals that
demonstrate how local authorities will use the new bus powers for
partnership working in the Local Transport Bill. The Bill,
currently before Parliament, gives local authorities greater local
freedom and choice with increased flexibility and powers to
deliver a tailored transport system better suited to local needs.
It includes new powers to promote more effective partnership
working between local authorities and bus operators.
Public Enquiries: 020 7944 8300
Department for Transport
Website: http://www.dft.gov.uk