Young people in Rugeley and the surrounding areas are being offered a free day pass at the town’s leisure centre – if they show a bus ticket for that day on entry.
The summer offer available on children’s fare tickets is part of a county council transport pilot scheme which is looking to find out how people use bus transport and then improve it to help to enhance connectivity, reliability and accessibility.
A public survey has been launched to support the council’s transport team in better understanding how people travel and what changes would encourage greater use of bus services. The team will be looking to test initiatives to see what works in practice and how services can be improved for communities across the county.
By teaming up with Rugeley Leisure Centre, it is hoped the offer will raise awareness of the project and how easy it is to use buses in and around the town. The offer is available until August 31.
Anyone who signs up to the offer will have access to activities such as the gym and swimming pool by showing a valid bus ticket. Before travelling, people need to sign up online and enter ‘bus travel’ in the Extra information box. They can access the offer on the Everyone Active webpage.
Andrew Mynors, Cabinet Member for Connectivity at Staffordshire County Council, said:
Improved connectivity across our county by providing convenient and cost-effective transport options is a priority to the county council. Our transport team wants to better understand people’s use of local buses, and importantly how bus travel can be improved
The leisure centre offer is a great way of connecting with people and getting them involved and we’d like to thank Cannock Chase Council for supporting us.
Rugeley’s local attributes make it an ideal location for this initiative, meaning we can get the most out of the study and hopefully lay the foundations for lasting improvements not only for this town, but communities across Staffordshire. After its evaluation, we can look to carry out similar projects to improve bus services in other areas.
We’d urge people now to complete the survey and help to shape future public transport improvements in their town.”
People can complete the survey online here.
Rugeley and the surrounding area has been selected for the trial as it provides the right balance of size and number of potential new bus users, where initiatives can be set up easily and monitored.
With new housing planned for the town, it’s expected that there will be an increased demand for bus services. Residents’ feedback will help shape improvements that reflect local priorities and how people use services.
There’s a clear case for investment in public transport in the Rugeley area, with many households without access to a car and a growing number of local journeys that could be shifted from car to bus. Also, most people live within a 30-minute bus journey of the town centre.
Through the year-long trial, the transport team will look at bus service reliability, accessibility at bus stops, providing clearer passenger information and raising awareness of available services. It will also explore how fare offers and promotions could encourage more people to choose the bus for everyday journeys.
