Selaine Saxby, MP for North Devon, welcomed Iain Stewart MP, Chair of the Transport Select Committee, to North Devon to visit Barnstaple Bus Station and Blackmoor Gate. The visit was to discuss how connectivity and transport links in rural areas need to be treated differently to urban areas.
They visited Barnstaple Bus Station, where the facilities have remained closed since the start of the pandemic despite it being a central transport hub in North Devon. They then took the bus to Blackmoor Gate, where a new transport hub could be established, for rural transport to work it needs to be flexible and a transport hub would allow people to connect public transport options with personal cars and walking and cycling.
On the same day of the visit the Government announced £80 million of funding for local bus services across the country, with Devon County Council receiving £1,677,393. The funding will continue to help lower fares, improve bus reliability and punctuality while preventing service reductions, and comes as part of £3.5 billion investment since 2020 to protect and improve bus services while keeping fares low, helping people to save money on travel and grow the economy.
Selaine Saxby, MP for North Devon, said:
“I was delighted to welcome Iain Stewart MP, Chair of the Transport Select Committee, to Barnstaple to talk about the ongoing closure of Barnstaple Bus Station and what we can do to encourage residents in North Devon to use public transport, and one of the solutions would be to rapidly reopen the bus station as soon as possible.
“It is important that rurality is recognised in Westminster, and the effect it can have on rural connectivity and transport links. I have worked with ministers on this to encourage their departments to think differently about problems and solutions in rural settings.
“Iain was able to see the successful e-scooter trial, how busy the bus station is, as well as multiple pot holes as we travelled around North Devon. At my latest surgery in South Molton, every person who came raised the issue of transport in some shape or form. I am delighted that having followed up with Stagecoach they have confirmed services should be almost back to normal now.”
