Staffordshire travel policy attracts new interest

Staffordshire’s bold approach to public transport has caught the attention of new providers…

Most local authorities are batoning down the hatches and, broadly speaking, giving in to national cuts to public transport subsidy. But in Staffordshire we decided to do things differently and it appears to be paying off.

Many areas across the country are cutting back on free concessionary transport for older people but here in Staffordshire we decided to take the opposite approach by expanding the 24/7 free bus travel for pensioners across all districts and boroughs.

And we also launched a brand new scheme providing ‘Quid a Ride’ bus travel to anyone aged between 11 and 20. That’s any bus journey in Staffordshire even if it goes out of the county. So completely the opposite approach to what appears to be the norm in the current financial climate.

It seems to be working. The very different approach we are taking here has caught the eye of new commercial bus operators and, at a time when they are cutting back across the country at least one major operator who has never ever operated in Staffordshire wants to talk about new services here. All because of our aggressive approach instead of the normal defeatism found elsewhere.

A bit of new competition on main bus services would be positive and it’s all down, if it comes off, to a distinctive different way of doing things in Staffordshire. On top of that the new ‘Your Staffordshire Travel Card’ is flying out. Anyone between 11 and 20 years of age can register here for the card.

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