Residents in Rugeley and the surrounding area are being urged to have their say on plans to improve bus travel in their town and help to enhance connectivity, reliability and accessibility.
The survey supports Staffordshire County Council’s work to better understand how people travel and what changes would encourage greater use of bus services. Its transport team will be looking to test initiatives to see what works in practice and how services can be improved for communities across the county.
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.
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.
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.”
The survey is open until the end of July 2026.
