Ruddington bus passengers are welcoming the news that the services from our main village operator will revert to their previous levels later this month.
Nottingham City Transport (NCT) cut back its operations on January 10th citing the rising number of Coronavirus cases and a shortage of bus drivers. However, with driver availability improving considerably, and the shortfall now less than half of the 10% NCT was experiencing, it’s announced that Friday 18th February 2022 will be the last day it needs to operate its “enhanced Saturday timetable” on weekdays. Previous Monday to Friday timetables will be reinstated on our Navy 3 and Green 10 buses from February 21st 2022 onwards.
NCT Managing Director David Astill says: “I’d like to thank my colleagues and our customers for their support and patience over recent weeks whilst we operated the enhanced Saturday level of service across the network. Since announcing our improved pay rates for drivers, which are now amongst the highest in the country outside London, we have seen a very encouraging uptake in applications from local people wishing to pursue a career with NCT as a bus driver. Whilst it will take a while to feel the benefit of this, it is one of the reasons why we now have the confidence to reinstate a weekday service, which will increase capacity across the network for our customers”.
This is certainly good news for the ‘early riser’ Ruddington commuters who were left needing to take their car or a taxi to work on weekday mornings due to the later start of both the Navy 3 and Green 10 buses on the temporary timetables. The less good news for those out partying and wishing to get back to our village in the early hours of Saturday and Sunday mornings is that the NightBus N48 will remain suspended for now. However, NightBus N4 will have a new route, serving Clifton Estate before reaching NTU Clifton Campus, perhaps making it feasible for some residents from the western side of Ruddington to walk the rest of the way home.
You can find a preview of all of NCT’s new timetables on the NCTX Buses App and at www.nctx.co.uk/services.
