Residents in Sefton have the chance to give their views on bus services in the area in the first consultation phase of a new bus network review in the borough.
This initial consultation phase of the review will run from Wednesday, February 27 until 5pm on Tuesday, March 26.
Members of the public will be able to give their thoughts and feedback via an online survey which can be access from the Bus Network Review webpage at www.merseytravel.gov.uk/busreview.
There will also be two drop-in events taking place in where residents can speak to representatives from Merseytravel about bus services across the area, how they  use them and what might encourage residents to use them more. The two events are listed below:
- Southport Chapel Street – Wednesday, March 6, 10 to 3pm
- Bootle New Strand – Thursday, March 7, 10 to 3pm
Merseytravel, as part of its Bus Strategy, is committed to carrying out regular bus network reviews across the Merseyside bus network, with the aim of creating an improved and simpler network.
The first set of reviews took place from 2016 to 2018. Going forward, there will now be a regular cycle of network reviews, ensuring that the bus network delivers the aspirations of the Liverpool City Region.
Historically bus routes were considered on a piecemeal basis. The idea of these network reviews is to consider the commercial network and the supported network – that which relies on public subsidy via Merseytravel – as a whole. This will ensure that the network best reflects the needs of the public and adapts to plans for future housing, leisure and employments developments.
As part of the Bus Alliance with Arriva and Stagecoach, and with support from other operators, Merseytravel is working through these network reviews with the aim of getting more people using the bus by creating a better bus experience.
Part of the review will look at the current supported bus network and consider how increasingly limited public resources can be focused where there is most need.
To help this, we are looking for feedback and information from the public about how they use the bus network in the area, particularly any supported bus service. The first stage of review is to gather feedback on bus services in the area, which will help inform any potential changes.
Cllr Liam Robinson, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Transport Portfolio Holder, said:
“The original set of bus network reviews helped us to begin to shape the bus network in Merseyside to better fit the needs of residents and businesses, while facing up the challenges we face in trying to fund supported services.
“By listening to the feedback gained in those reviews, we were able to work with commercial operators as part of the Bus Alliance to see where existing routes could be adapted to cover any changes. This has not been the case across the country, where some local authorities have taken the tough decision to withdraw all supported services.
“This latest cycle of bus network reviews will help us to continue to adapt the bus network so that it reflects the aspirations of the Liverpool City Region and we would encourage everyone to give their feedback through the appropriate channels to help shape the network in the best way possible.”
