Bus Service Improvement Plan - Survey
Survey has concluded
Important notice
*****We have been made aware of some confusion regarding the closing date of the bus improvement survey. We very much want to hear from everyone that wishes to take part, therefore we have reopened the survey until 5pm on Wednesday 2 February.
We wanted to make you aware that due to a small technical error we have made a few changes to the way we are collecting responses on locations for questions 17 and 23. The comments and feedback you have provided, using the old format, will be fully taken on board though we did want to offer you the opportunity to resubmit your answers, if you wish.
We apologise for any inconvenience, but in the interests of fairness wanted you to be aware of this small change in relation to the mapping element.
Thank you again for your time in providing us with valuable information on our services.
Introduction
The National Bus Strategy 2021 has set out an ambitious vision for local authorities to dramatically improve bus services across the country. Local authorities are being encouraged to work in partnership with bus operators and local communities to deliver an integrated service with better ticketing, improved frequencies and schemes that make a noticeable impact.
Bus use has declined sharply due to the pandemic and it is up to local authorities and bus operators to work together to attract lost passengers and to further enhance what is a sustainable form of transport. Government has pledged £3billion of new funding to support bus improvements. Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs) are the agreed vision for why, what, when and how local services will be improved.
Gloucestershire’s BSIP sets out the ambitions for the county regarding bus services, an ambition that will be jointly delivered through the Enhanced Partnership (EP). We firmly believe that a high functioning bus service can deliver sustainable transport choices for all residents; ensuring access to education, employment and training, as well as access to services and facilities. But more than just these functional uses, buses should aim to be a first choice for all transport requirements in the county. Social and leisure opportunities are equally important and should be accessible through regular and frequent bus use.
We’d like to gather your views on the Bus Service Improvement Plan, as well as bus services in general. The survey will be open from 15 December until midnight on the 30 January 2022.
All published documentation in relation to the BSIP is available on the GCC website.
What follows is a set of questions to gather your opinions about bus travel in Gloucestershire. You do not need to answer all of the questions, but it would be helpful if you can. The survey is anonymised; we do not collect your personal information, and you cannot be identified from the answers you give in this survey. Data collected is stored and used in line with GDPR.
Transport Interchanges
The Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) commits to progressing further transport interchanges in the County. These transport interchanges could provide better bus connections and facilities including car parking and electric vehicle charging, cycle and e-bike parking/storage, bike repair, bike hire cafe, e-scooter hire etc. Critically, from any transport hub, Expressway bus routes will connect rural services via high-frequency buses to the town/city centres.
GCC are progressing planning approval for Arle Court Transport Hub off the A40 in Cheltenham, which will be an ‘exemplar’ transport interchange; click here for details:
We are also interested in other locations where better facilities and connections can enable us to reduce car trips and make more journeys by bus.
Instructions for using Places (maps)
To use the map, please follow these simple instructions:
1. Locate the relevant location on the map. This can be done either by zooming in and dragging the screen, or by searching for a postcode or location using the magnifying glass tool in the top right-hand corner of the map.
2. Click the + icon on the left-hand side of the screen to reveal a list of pins.
3. Choose which pin is most relevant.
4. Drag and drop this pin onto the relevant location within the map. If you are using a mobile device, you will then need to click 'Set this location' in the top right-hand corner.
5. A box will pop up which allow you to provide further details, [ask you questions and/or upload a photograph] to support your comments.
All information you provide via this map will be visible to other users and therefore we encourage you not to reveal any personal information about yourself or others.
To use this map, you will either need to [provide an email and screen name or to register] [to this site]. Please note that your screen name will be publicly visible on the map. If you have previously registered to [this site] and wish to change your screen name you can do so by clicking here.
Question:
Choose up to four locations where you think additional interchanges should be located?
Bus Priority
Bus Priority
We all know that bus service journey times can be severely affected by traffic congestion. One of the most efficient ways to mitigating this is to provide priority road infrastructure for buses, such as bus lanes, bus only gates, traffic light priority.
Instructions for using Places (maps)
To use the map, please follow these simple instructions:
1. Locate the relevant location on the map. This can be done either by zooming in and dragging the screen, or by searching for a postcode or location using the magnifying glass tool in the top right-hand corner of the map.
2. Click the + icon on the left-hand side of the screen to reveal a list of pins.
3. Choose which pin is most relevant.
4. Drag and drop this pin onto the relevant location within the map. If you are using a mobile device, you will then need to click 'Set this location' in the top right-hand corner.
5. A box will pop up which allow you to provide further details, [ask you questions and/or upload a photograph] to support your comments.
All information you provide via this map will be visible to other users and therefore we encourage you not to reveal any personal information about yourself or others.
To use this map, you will either need to [provide an email and screen name or to register] [to this site]. Please note that your screen name will be publicly visible on the map. If you have previously registered to [this site] and wish to change your screen name you can do so by clicking here.
Question
Please indicate where, on your bus journeys, you experience the most amount of congestion that affects your bus journey times.