Ben Everitt, the MP for Milton Keynes North, has continued to fight for better rural bus services after raising the number 41 issue with Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt.
Stagecoach recently announced a reduced timetable for the 41 route which services Olney and Lavendon, and Ben has been working with residents and Olney Town Council
He recently met with Stagecoach at their HQ in Cambridge to emphasise his disappointment at their decision, and was told they had initially informed Milton Keynes City Council of their plans back in May.
Ben is determined to ensure the rural areas of his Milton Keynes North constituency, and across the country, have the connectivity they need to get to school, work and the doctors so raised this at Business Questions in the Commons yesterday (28th October).
He said: "Many people in rural towns and villages in my constituency rely on public transport. They need those links and that connectivity to get them to where they need to be, so it is very concerning to hear that route 41, which runs between Bedford and Northampton, stopping at many towns and villages in the rural parts of my constituency, will soon be running at a much-reduced rate.
"That will leave constituents isolated, without the means to travel to work, school or the doctor’s. Will the Leader of the House ensure a debate in Government time to underline our commitment to keeping rural communities connected and the fact that everybody has a role to play in that—bus operators and local government included?"
Penny Mordaunt, the Leader of the House, responded: "I shall be very happy to flag that issue with the Department for Transport and the new Secretary of State. My hon. Friend will know that the six-month extension to the bus recovery grant scheme provided up to £130 million to continue supporting bus services, and England’s long-term national bus strategy, which I am sorry to hear is called “Bus Back Better”, is explicit about ensuring the needs of rural transport."
