It’s been revealed that two popular bus routes, which provide an hourly daytime service via Ruddington, are facing the axe under the latest Nottingham City Council (NCC) spending cuts.
Currently the Council funds our Monday to Saturday Locallink L22 and L23 services – which are FREE for everyone. They run on a circular route in opposite directions through Ruddington, serving Clifton, Silverdale, Wilford Lane, West Bridgford Town Centre, Gamston and Lady Bay.
In a statement, NCC reveals: “Austerity isn’t over for Nottingham, with Government cuts seeing the City Council’s main grant reduced from £127m in 2013 to £25m, leaving the council needing to find savings of £22m in 2019/20. To help us achieve these savings while protecting services such as adult social care and children’s services, a series of changes are proposed to streamline our Locallink services. From 31st March 2019, fares will be increased across the Linkbus network to be comparable with the city’s commercial operators. This will mean a rise in the cost of single and day tickets, including park and ride services, and introduction of fares on the L22/23.”
Unfortunately, that’s not the end of the story. The Council is also debating whether these routes are actually needed at all. It continues: “A series of changes are proposed to Linkbus services that will enable us to continue to provide services where they are most needed. We are proposing to withdraw L22/23. This service operates in the county but is currently funded by the City Council. The city areas are already well served by NCT’s Navy 3.”
Ironically, cutting these buses would undoubtedly increase patronage on Nottingham City Transport’s Navy 3 and so help protect that service – which shares much of the Clifton and Wilford Lane end of the route. There is also a significant overlap with the route of NCT’s Green 10 between Ruddington and West Bridgford. However, there are some areas which would no longer be served directly from our village if L22 and L23 are withdrawn.
Rushcliffe Borough Councillor Jean Greenwood, who alerted us to this current review, said: “So many Ruddington people use this service to access Rushcliffe Borough Council Contact Centre on Rectory Road, and call into the banks, as we no longer have any in Ruddington. They also use the service to get to Lings Bar for medical treatment, and it brings people into Ruddington from Silverdale and Wilford, so it would be a great loss.”
Vice Chairman of Ruddington Parish Council, Cllr Paul Reedman, agrees: “The L22 & L23 are vital bus routes for Ruddington. These services allow residents to travel to West Bridgford to visit the shops and banking facilities and access shops at Gamston without the need to change buses multiple times. The Parish Council will be responding to the consultation and urges residents to do the same.”
If you have any comments on these proposals, you’ll need to respond before 4th March 2019 by emailing pt.operations@nottinghamcity.gov.uk.
