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“This is fantastic news,” said Councillor Graham Murphy, Cabinet
member for Environment and Community Safety. “To be recognised in
this way is testament to the hard work of everyone involved in
passenger transport, which has helped provide residents with a real
choice when it comes to sustainable transport. It also sends the
message to the rest of the country that Peterborough is leading the
way in providing a quality bus service.”
The revised Local Link network now
comprises 11 routes all operating hail and ride sections, with all
the new low-floor vehicles re-branded in an eye catching livery
similar to those used by commercial operators. This transformation
has seen a 51 per cent increase in users from 2005/06 to 2006/07.
Stagecoach has also made significant
investment in low floor vehicles, ensuring a modern fleet now
operates within Peterborough.
Andy Campbell, managing director of
Stagecoach Cambridgeshire, said: “Peterborough City Council has been
instrumental in our recent changes to the public transport network.
Our award winning Citi network would not have been introduced
without the pro-active approach of the transport team. The entire
Citi network now offers low floor accessibility, which has helped us
to achieve 30 per cent growth in three years.”
Teresa Wood, passenger transport
team manager at the city council, added: “A significant increase in
public transport passengers has been achieved in Peterborough,
despite numbers going down nationally. This clearly shows more
people are able to access public transport here and they are
satisfied with the service we provide.
“Excellent results have been
achieved in getting people to choose an alternative form of
transport to the car in Peterborough thanks to the city council’s
Travelchoice project. In targeted areas the number of people
travelling by public transport has increased by 13 per cent, while
car journeys have been reduced by the same amount.
“We are keen to sustain this rapid
growth and intend to introduce further improvements in the future.
However, being nominated for such a prestigious award confirms we
are working well with our commercial partners and providing the
people of Peterborough with one of the best services in the country.
”
September 2007 -
Peterborough UK Community Website
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