Green Bus Stops and Fares Cap Extended

I will be posting final details of next weekend timetable changes later in the week as quite a few of the new timetables have yet to appear on Traveline. So just a few bits of pieces tonight…

Green Bus Stops

LIVING-ROOFED bus shelters are making a scheduled stop in Tavistock.

The town council, in partnership with Launceston firm Fernbank Advertising, is providing the new shelters with mini-gardens on top this month.

The shelters have started appearing in the town centre and their roofs will be planted in the next few weeks.

The roofs will be planted with sedums, lit by solar power and use a dusk-til-dawn light sensor. Sedums are tolerant of dry windswept conditions in shallow soils. Environmental gardeners have already welcomed the garden roof as yet another ‘green’ initiative to support the council’s policy of sustainability and environmental commitment. The idea is for the gardens in the sky to help capture carbon emissions from traffic, encourage insect life and reduce run-off and flooding.

Tavistock Today

Bus Fare Cap Extended

Bus passengers in England will be able to keep travelling for £2 after the government extended funding by another £500m, easing fears about a further decline in local services.

The fare cap on most local buses, brought in as a temporary measure last year to boost patronage, will be extended until the end of October and then for another 13 months at £2.50 for a single journey, in a move that the Department for Transport said would support people with the cost of living and ensure stability in the sector.

Bus operators, who had warned that up to 15% of routes could be lost when existing funding was due to run out at the end of June, welcomed the news but said it would not be enough to save every service.

The prime minister, Rishi Sunak, said: “By extending the £2 fare cap, we’re making sure bus travel remains accessible and affordable for everyone, while helping to ease cost of living pressures.

“Buses connect our communities and play a vital role in growing the economy; they transport people to work, take our kids to school and make sure patients can get to doctors’ appointments. That’s why we’re determined to protect local routes and encourage more people on to the bus, ensuring people can get around easily and in an affordable way.”

Guardian