People who live and work in Tyne and Wear are being reminded that they still have time to give their views on local transport services as part of a review of what Nexus provides on behalf of local councils.
Views are being sought on a range of services including maintaining bus shelters and timetables, buses for schools, work and local communities, child fares, and specialist services for older and disabled people.
The consultation will allow Nexus, as a public body, to bring forwards recommendations for future services as it seeks to reduce spending from 2017 onwards.
Tobyn Hughes, Managing Director of Nexus, said: ”There are still a few weeks for people to give us their views on the services we provide as part of our review.
“We want to understand how people access public transport and what is important to them and their families.
“Nexus is committed to providing the best we can with the funds made available to us.
“From 2017 we will have less to spend on local services in Tyne and Wear that we provide using funding from local councils, which is why this consultation process is so important.”
Copies of the guide and questionnaire have also been circulated to libraries in Tyne and Wear and are available at Nexus Travelshops. Anyone who has difficulty obtaining a copy in the right format for them can also contact nexus directly on 0191 20 2 0747.
Nexus will use the feedback from consultees to help it prepare specific proposals for future services in the autumn when there will be further consultation, and when recommendations will be put before members of the North East Combined Authority as part of the process to set a budget for 2017-18.
The consultation does not include the basic element of the English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (the ‘bus pass’ for older and disabled people) enabling travel on buses from 9:30am to 11pm on weekdays and all day at weekends, as Nexus has a statutory legal duty to provide this.
Nexus is also not considering changes to the Metro timetable, as the light rail system is funded from the fares that passengers pay, along with a grant from the Department for Transport, rather than by local councils.
Most bus services in Tyne and Wear – around 90% – are also not included because they are run by private companies, and also don’t receive local council funding.