The council recently reduced the savings they need to make subsidising bus travel from £2.25 million to £0.45 million, but they are still looking at ways to save money on rural transport services.
To best address this, KCC has launched what it is calling its 'Big Conversation' programme which they say aims to find potential new opportunities in providing rural transport services. The main objectives of the programme they say are to maintain and, where possible, improve rural accessibility for those without alternative means of travel. It will also look to integrate existing transport with the commercial transport network and make best use of technology to transform access to public transport.
KCC are inviting the public to give their views at 11 public meetings held across the county over the next 2 months.
Our nearest meeting is at UKP Leisure, Avenue of Remembrance, Sittingbourne ME10 4DE on Wednesday the 18th of July between 7:00pm and 9:00pm.
If you are unable to make it to one of the public meetings you can still have your say via the online questionnaire at the link here >> www.kent.gov.uk/bigconversation
If you are unable to make it to one of the public meetings you can still have your say via the online questionnaire at the link here >> www.kent.gov.uk/bigconversation
KCC cabinet member for transport Mike Whiting said: “We want to explore how we can improve connectivity for our rural residents and assess the viability of offering different kinds of services.
That’s why for the next couple of months we’re meeting with all stakeholders – residents, parish councils, operators - and running our “Big Conversation” programme to see what we could do and get feedback from the people that could run them and use them.
Once we have explored potential ideas with the market and completed our engagement with residents we will work on developing these ideas.
We’ll then be working with transport and technology providers to look at how we can develop new ways of delivering rural transport.”
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