The Rachel Maclean Diary:
“IMPROVING bus services in Redditch has been a top priority for me, which is why I recently met with Worcestershire County Council’s cabinet member with responsibility for highways and transport, Councillor Alan Amos.
On the agenda was the County Council’s bid to introduce zero emission buses in Redditch as part of the Government’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas Scheme.
The County, with my support, submitted an expression of interest to the Department for Transport (DfT) to access the funding available.
It was announced last year that it had been successful in this first step and was asked to develop a full business case for investment.
If successful, we would see zero emission buses on Redditch roads, ensuring our town is playing its part in helping the Government reach its Net Zero target.
The business case will be submitted to the DfT by the end of this month.
I then look forward to lobbying Ministers and making the case for our bid to be approved.
When I was re-elected in 2019, I pledged to campaign for a greener, more reliable bus service in Redditch, and I remain committed to delivering that promise.
At our recent meeting we also discussed the County Council’s Bus Service Improvement Plan – with the Council bidding for £86million in Government funding to back their plans.
I am doing all I can to support these plans, including writing to the DfT.
If the bid is successful, the funding will be used to improve the frequency of bus services, buying low-emission buses and improvements to the road network, as well as improved ticketing and user-access.
I can assure you that, working with the County Council, we are determined to deliver a greener bus service in Redditch.”
Rachel Maclean
