LincsOnline readers outline where county’s £260 million transport fund should be spent – with pothole fixes and better buses high on the agenda

Proper fixes for our crumbling roads and better bus services are what our readers want to see a transport fund spent on.

Today, we revealed that Lincolnshire is getting £262,339,000 from the Local Transport Fund – while Rutland will also get £49,341,000.

County council bosses will need to draw up a plan for how the cash is spent – but residents have been promised a say.

Our readers have responded to that request – debating what’s needed and airing a degree of frustration and cynicism towards the Government’s latest promise.

The cash, said to be the money that would have gone to HS2, would be spent over seven years and isn’t due to come until 2025.

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Stewart Elderkin asked for: “A proper active travel network, resurfacing our roads properly and encouraging people to travel in different ways other than using the car for every journey. More frequent and reliable train and bus services too.”

On our website, Mandy Harris said: “I think some money should go to the provision of more rural bus services. Not everybody who live in rural villages drive or can afford cars unfortunately myself included.

“There are not enough good connections to Bourne from the surrounding rural villages like Rippingale, Billingsborough etc. There are people who need good connections for work and others, including elderly, who need to get to appointments etc and buses that run primarily for schoolchildren during school terms only isn't enough to cover the needs of everybody relying on public transport.

“So it would be very nice to see a portion of the funding going towards more bus journeys being made available during the day and at peak times to the rural villages surrounding Bourne.”

Sue McQuinn said: “Seems to be a government trend - cut something to the bone then when they give a little back try to take credit for it.

“They’ve done it with all public services.”

Trevor Hewson was similarly cynical about the announcement – and the timing. He wrote: “£260m is nothing compared to the neglect our transport infrastructure has suffered lately. Funny how it gets announced in an election year too. Hope you’re not too daft to not see this for what it is.”

Mark Taylor said: “Let’s be honest, that’s not even enough to make the roads in Lincolnshire fit to drive on! They have gotten so bad the amount of money required to sort them is ridiculous! Bad management for far too long has destroyed this county!”

Paul Connor said: “Potholes, potholes and potholes… maybe improving local bus routes as well. Maybe pot holes as well. Also pot holes. What about a train service from Nottingham to Grantham after 9pm. Would certainly encourage theatre goers to use it. And lastly, POTHOLES!”

Matthew Wilson said: “None of it, literally none, of that fund should go to Lincoln. It should go to the towns in Lincolnshire where the bus service is either non-existent or very nearly non-existent.

“Having a mobility issue, I'd love to get the bus into town and back, but for me to get the bus I'd have to walk into town anyway! There's no point. And then the politicians wonder why we're buying more cars!”

Dave G Wallis said: “It will probably repair one in ten of Lincolnshire’s potholes. The roads are so bad around here that most of them are frankly dangerous. The verges have been destroyed by lorries from the local quarries using the country lanes as rat runs. This money is too little too late to make much difference.”

Karen Main said: “Repair our appalling roads, and properly, not just a sprinkling of chippings on the top, and when it's done properly, bring the manhole covers and drains to the same height as the road. Will the council listen? Let's wait and see.”

For Spalding, John Bland said: “Grants to modernise our ageing bus fleets and to support rural bus routes. Remodel Sheep Market so that buses can drop passengers off in the town centre. Possibly even relocate the bus station to Sheep Market, if it is feasible to do so.”

Rodney Sadd said: “After years of austerity this is a welcome announcement but long overdue.

“Bus services in our area have been cut back despite the increase in housing and more people relying on safe and accessible bus services.

“Instead of degrading services and some areas having no service at all, better bus services should be integrated with rail travel, with better information and facilities such as bus shelters with more travel information at source.

“Lincolnshire has been the poor county for years, which has led to people being socially excluded with the lack of transport options.

“Public transport needs long term funding to make it more efficient, reliable, affordable and attractive travel option for all communities throughout Lincolnshire and beyond.”

Trevor Hargrave wrote: “Trains on Sundays to and from Spalding.”

Liam Walker said: “Electrify the Peterborough to Doncaster line with a freight hub in Spalding as discussed by Network Rail last year.”

Anne Kozak said: “How about reopening some of the small stations that were closed years ago? Donington, for example, would give direct access to Sleaford or Lincoln, there's no direct bus route, only way to go is via Spalding, same as if you want to go to London which means driving!”

Diane Carter asked for: “A daily proper bus service out to West Pinchbeck. There's only one on a Tuesday from Bourne to Spalding.”

Lesley Jane Peper said: “Repair our roads. If they do Stamford will be at the bottom of the list as we are for everything.”

Jacky Croft said: “Proper bus services through the villages where mums & buggies & the elderly can get on & off safely! These free mini buses are OK but not accessible for all!”

Emma Lannigan said: “Improve transport connections from the Deepings to surrounding towns. With more of Deepings residents being referred to hospitals in Stamford and Spalding, people who don't drive or don't have a car are limited.”

Chris Geoff Pick said: “Get buses running through the villages especially on Saturdays so people can shop in the town and visit relatives. Not everyone drives.”

Karen Kitchen summed up the frustration many have with the state of our roads, saying: “Can you just spend the money on fixing the thousands of potholes and give us half decent roads to drive on?”

Pat Wensor said: “Turn that dangerous A16/B1166 junction at Crowland into a roundabout.”

Mick Stopper said: “Never mind upgrading public transport, reduce ticket prices to make it viable to use public transport.”​​​​​​

John Adams said: “In other words it will disappear in contracts to fix things they were supposed to fix anyway. It won't go on new transport routes and it won't get people out of their cars on to the trains and buses which is supposedly the idea of going "green". The optimistic may say I am being pessimistic, but in 5 years time come back and tell me I'm wrong when the only thing that has happened is they once filled a few pot holes built a couple of cycle routes linking nowhere to somewhere, and the other millions vanished in consultations, public meetings and concept plans.

“We need more public transport, the population is increasing in age and cannot continue to drive from health and wealth perspectives and then we have climate change, which only applies to what they want to ban apparently.”

Robert Lewis quipped: “What’s left when it’s wasted on consultancy? £1k”

Join the debate and post your views in the comments below...