Travel app to simplify bus journeys in Lincolnshire on council’s ‘to-do list’

Planning bus journeys across Lincolnshire could get a whole lot easier, as council chiefs reveal they want like to create an app to help plan journeys.

Although plans are in their infancy, Lincolnshire County Council’s head of transport Mike Reed said ‘this is an area where we want to create some consistency’.

Planning a long journey through Lincolnshire by bus is a tricky task that forces you go the extra miles.

While the £2 journey cap makes bus travel a feasible option financially, travellers face a nightmare of comparing different operators’ timetables to get from A to B.

The issue of creating an app was raised by Coun Charlotte Vernon at a recent highways and transport scrutiny committee meeting.

The Conservative, who represents Colsterworth Rural questioned whether there would be an option of a synchronised countywide timetable similar to those offered by train operators.

“Reliability is key to people using the bus service,” said Vernon, adding she was ‘delighted’ by the new improved services in Stamford and Grantham.

“If could access the service more easily and in real time that would make a significant difference.”

Mr Reed said the authority is looking to provide a ‘consistent approach’, but it has to be something to suit all parties.

“App technology, it is something we are talking to our different partners about in regards to what we can do to create a consistent approach for all operators,” he replied.

“We’re very conscious that different operators already have different approaches to this and we don’t want to punish or incentivise some businesses when they have different spend in this areas.

“But going forward this is an area we do want to create some consistency in and, with any future funding, it’s something we’ll be looking at with a bit more seriousness about a Lincolnshire approach.

“But it has to be fair on all operators.”

LCC support service manager Helen Reek added

“Various bus operators now have their own app, so if you use one operator it’s straightforward to look at that.

“A good journey planner is on our to-do list going forward.”

LCC have recently revealed changes to a number of interconnect and IntoTown services in the county, some of which are already in place, following an £8.5 million boost which will aid the authoroity’s plans to make ‘far-reaching improvements’ to public transport.

Crowland campaigner Rodney Sadd, who called for improvements to the two-hourly Spalding to Peterbrorough service said he was ‘well pleased’ with the news.

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