Better buses on city's roads? Climb aboard, journey's just started

ANYONE who lives in Stoke-on-Trent knows that getting around our city by bus can be far harder than it should be and used to be.

- Gareth Snell - MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central

In too many communities, services are patchy, routes are slow, and connections just don't join up.

If you live in Meir Hay, Eaton Park, parts of Northwood, Sneyd Green, or Fenton, you may face a long walk just to reach a working bus stop.

For older residents or people with mobility issues, that's not a minor inconvenience, it's a daily barrier to work, healthcare, and social life.

We deserve better.

That's why new laws which have almost completed their passage through Parliament matter so much for Stoke-on-Trent.

The Bus Services (No. 2) Bill will give our city council the power to take control of local buses. Setting up a municipally owned bus company, franchising routes, and ensuring services our communities need are provided even where they aren't profitable.

It's a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rebuild a network that works for people, not just for profit.

Since privatisation, our city's bus network has been stripped back, leaving gaps you can measure not just in miles, but in lost opportunities.