Islington's users of the PlusBus Hail-and-Ride community bus service are this week celebrating Islington Council's decision to intervene to keep the little, yellow buses half-hour service running beyond 31 March 2007.<br><br>PlusBus Hail-and-Ride was funded by the Department for Transport (DfT), but this funding came to an end on 31 March 2007.<br><br>Over the last six months the council has worked hard to secure continuation funding for PlusBus by submitting funding bids, writing to the Mayor of London and lobbying Transport for London (TfL). <br><br>Although TfL has not provided any funding themselves, they identified £60,000 underspend from the DfT's Urban Bus Challenge that can be re-allocated to keep the best performing PlusBus services running for part of the 2007/08 financial year. <br><br>Now, thanks to a £60,000 match funding investment from Islington Council, the service will run for the whole of the year at half-hourly intervals, five days a week from Southgate Road, to Angel and then down to Bunhill Row via Percy Circus.<br><br>Although it is TfL and not Islington Council who are responsible for funding public transport services, the council hopes the funding will help convince TfL of the potential value of this type of community transport service in connecting local people to mainstream public transport services.<br><br>Cllr Lucy Watt, Executive Member for Environment, Islington Council, said: "Islington Council's interim funding decision gives a lifeline to dozens in the community who cannot use the public red bus services.<br><br>"Clearly we are disappointed that TfL was unable to contribute any of its own funding towards community transport services such as PlusBus.<br><br>"Community Transport continues to be a TfL responsibility and we'll keep pressing them to incorporate PlusBus into their existing London bus routes."<br><br>PlusBus is a local bus service aimed at older and disabled people that goes to local shops, leisure centres, health and day centres. The small, low-floored yellow buses can either be flagged down along its route or caught at specific bus stops.<br><br>A new route - number 812 - will start operating on Monday 23 April 2007. Although the 812 replaces routes PB1 and PB2, it is based on a combination of those two routes so it will continue to serve many of the streets and destinations. The 812 will operate under a London Service Permit and be opened up to fare-paying passengers at a cost of £1 per trip. However, Freedom Pass holders will continue to travel for free. <br><br>The bus timetable will be advertised on existing red bus stops and in community literature. TfL will publicise and promote the service sending timetables and maps to residents in the N1 and EC1 area, while Islington Council helps the buses to run safely and on time with traffic measures that cut congestion and keep the borough's roads safe. <br><br>If the number of people using the service continues to grow over the next year, it is more likely the routes can be financially self-sustaining after 2007/8. While Freedom Pass holders will continue to travel for free, Travelcards could eventually be accepted on the routes to replace the cash charge of £1 per trip. <br><br>ENDS
Page Last Updated: 17 December 2009