Bus Service Improvement Plan and Enhanced Partnership

What is a Bus Service Improvement Plan?

The Government published its Bus Back Better, National Bus Strategy for England in March 2021. Within this document there was a requirement for local authorities within England to prepare and publish Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs) by 31 October 2021. 

The Government are expecting BSIPs to cover bus priority infrastructure and other infrastructure, bus fares, bus service support, marketing and zero emission buses. A funding package of £3 billion for the bus sector was announced linked to the new National Bus Strategy. However, it is not yet clear how much new funding, if any, East Riding of Yorkshire Council may receive following submission of our BSIP to the Department for Transport.

How can I view the East Riding’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP)?

Details of our BSIP can be viewed in our submission below:

East Riding Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) (pdf 9mb)

What is an Enhanced Partnership?

Within the National Bus Strategy for England the Government required local transport authorities to establish either an Enhanced Partnership or be working towards bus service franchising as the delivery method for its Bus Service Improvement Plan. In June 2021 the East Riding of Yorkshire Council decided to proceed with the development of an Enhanced Partnership, covering the whole of the East Riding of Yorkshire.

The Enhanced Partnership will determine the priorities for spending any funding allocated by Government to the council. Our Enhanced Partnership will have representation from local bus companies, community transport, passengers, through our Parish Transport Champions, Hull and East Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership, neighbouring local authorities and the East Riding of Yorkshire Council. Delivery of priority schemes will be dependent on an appropriate level of new funding being made available to the council by the Government.

Notice that East Riding of Yorkshire Council has made an Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme

Over the past year East Riding of Yorkshire Council has been drafting proposals to improve bus services in response to Government's Bus Back Better National Bus Strategy. 

In October, we submitted a bid to Government outlining our long-term ambition for bus in our area and more recently have set out our proposals for making this happen, most of which are subject to the availability of new transformational Government funding. Unfortunately, like many other local transport authorities, we have not been successful in securing new funding following submission of our Bus Service Improvement Plan to Government in 2021.

In January 2022, the council concluded a statutory consultation period to obtain feedback on the content of our Plan and Scheme. It was agreed that no major modifications were required to be made to the Plan and Scheme at that time and that feedback would be kept under review and considered as part of future updates. At its meeting on 23 February 2022, the council therefore approved proceeding to make the Plan and Scheme by 31 March 2022.

Please find below two documents for your attention:

Notice that a Plan and Scheme has been made (pdf 89kb)

East Riding of Yorkshire Enhanced Partnership Plan and Scheme (pdf 829kb)