A new 'on demand' rural bus service was launched today in North Lanarkshire.
Strathclyde Passenger Transport's Ring n' Ride service - funded by Scottish Executive Rural Transport Fund grant - will provide a bus service to parts of North Lanarkshire which do not currently have a service.
Deputy Transport Minister Lewis Macdonald said:
"Access to transport is vital for everyone and I am sure this service will prove extremely popular in North Lanarkshire, particularly with elderly people, those with mobility problems and others who do not have access to transport.
"The Scottish Executive is committed to strengthening communities throughout Scotland and Ring n' Ride shows how transport can help to reduce social exclusion and increase access to everyday facilities and services which other people take for granted.
"We recognise that conventional rural public transport may not provide the answer. Services such as Ring n' Ride will help to ensure that nobody is disadvantaged simply
because they live in a rural area."
The service will be operated by a low-floor, accessible bus and will provide vital transport links from rural North Lanarkshire to Cumbernauld, Airdrie and Coatbridge town centres, as well as local train stations and Monklands General Hospital.
BACKGROUND
Strathclyde Passenger Transport's Ring n' Ride service - funded by Scottish Executive Rural Transport Fund grant - will provide a bus service to parts of North Lanarkshire which do not currently have a service.
Deputy Transport Minister Lewis Macdonald said:
"Access to transport is vital for everyone and I am sure this service will prove extremely popular in North Lanarkshire, particularly with elderly people, those with mobility problems and others who do not have access to transport.
"The Scottish Executive is committed to strengthening communities throughout Scotland and Ring n' Ride shows how transport can help to reduce social exclusion and increase access to everyday facilities and services which other people take for granted.
"We recognise that conventional rural public transport may not provide the answer. Services such as Ring n' Ride will help to ensure that nobody is disadvantaged simply
because they live in a rural area."
The service will be operated by a low-floor, accessible bus and will provide vital transport links from rural North Lanarkshire to Cumbernauld, Airdrie and Coatbridge town centres, as well as local train stations and Monklands General Hospital.
BACKGROUND
- As Ring n' Ride is intended to supplement existingservices, it cannot be used for travel where services are already in place. Concession cards can be used and journeys must be pre-booked.
- The Scottish Executive Rural Transport Fund has so far provided over £14 million over three years to improve transport links in rural Scotland. It provides grants to local authorities, rural community transport projects and rural filling stations. As part of the Spending Review, the fund has been boosted by £4.5 million over the next three years.
- To date, £10.7 million has been allocated to local authorities for new rural public transport services.Over 380 new or enhanced bus and ferry services have been introduced.
- North Lanarkshire Council has received £121,000 over the last three years for rural public transport services and will receive a further £166,000 over the next three years. This money is paid direct to Strathclyde Passenger Transport (SPT) as the North Lanarkshire Council area falls within the SPT boundary and local authority grants for rural areas within the SPT boundary are paid direct to SPT.
- Grants awarded to individual local authorities are not necessarily used by SPT for those areas. SPT uses the total grant received to fund rural services throughout its area. In the last three years, SPT has received almost £1.4 million, enabling it to introduce 46 new or improved bus services.
No comments:
Post a Comment