Medway enhanced partnership with bus operators
Bus service improvements in Medway are at the heart of our enhanced partnership with bus operators.
An enhanced partnership would mean we work closer with local bus operators to improve services.
Early engagement has already taken place with operators to make sure this partnership would improve services for passengers.
Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme
This is a notice to confirm that Medway Council has published its Enhanced Partnership Plan
The Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme works towards the Medway Bus Service
View Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme for Medway 2022.
The National Bus Strategy
Bus Back Better was launched in March 2021 by the Department for Transport. It aims to transform bus services across the country ensuring buses are:
- more frequent
- more reliable
- easier to understand
- easier to use
- better co-ordinated
- cheaper.
The government also required local transport authorities to publish a Bus Service
This plan should detail how they intend to improve bus services.
Our BSIP
View our published BSIP updated for 2024.
This was submitted to the Department for Transport to ensure that Medway Council
Under the Department for Transport guidance, this will be reported on every year.
Our vision
Working in our enhanced partnership with Medway's commercial bus operators, we have set out our vision below.
A modern, sustainable public transport network for the residents of Medway that is
reliable, accessible, affordable and carbon free. We'll work collaboratively with partners to put passengers at the heart of everything we do, supporting equal opportunity of
access to employment, education and other key services. We'll also work collaboratively to respond to climate change by reducing congestion and allowing buses to move more
freely though our communities.
Our improvement programme up to 2025
Our improvement programme up to 2025 includes:
- continuing to support our existing socially necessary contracts so no cuts to services
- additional evening and Sunday services on key routes
- a proposal to have free summer holiday travel for children
- launching a new bus service to leisure facilities and country parks
- red routes on key parts of the highway
- camera enforcement in Lordswood and other bus lanes
- repairs and improvements to bus shelters.
Improvements also include:
- increasing CCTV and public announcement provision at Chatham Waterfront Bus Station
- improving driver toilet facilities at Chatham Waterfront Bus Station
- free bus weekends
- small scale accessibility improvements from LTP/S106 funding
- launching the Kent and Medway Bus Passenger Charter
- investigating a potential ticketing scheme across operators
- improvements to wayfinding and signage at Chatham Waterfront Bus Station.
Long term proposals up to 2035
Our long term proposals will meet Medway's key objectives of:
- reducing congestion that causes daily timetable delays
- reaching net zero by decarbonising the public transport network
- having a fully integrated public transport network.
Proposals
Our proposals include:
- bus network planning and improvements to bus services
- bus priority (delivering faster and more reliable services on priority routes)
- improvements to fares and ticketing
- longer term transformation of the network.
Proposals also include improvements to bus passenger experience by:
- improving bus stops, bus stations and
interchanges - improving bus information and network
identity - accessibility, inclusiveness, personal
safety and security - implementing the Bus Passenger
Charter.
Get involved
To get in touch about BSIP, please contact us by:
- email: public.transport@medway.gov.uk
- post: Public Transport Team, Medway Council, White House, Chatham Waterfront Bus Station, Riverside, Globe Lane, Chatham, ME4 4SL.