A smart card which would let Bournemouth residents use two different bus companies would give them more services according to the council.
The card is being proposed by the council in order to streamline timetables and promote the use of public transport. It’s also hoped the move will help decrease traffic congestion between Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch.
Public Transport Co-Coordinator for Bournemouth Council, Richard Barnes said: “If you were just using a Wilts and Dorset ticket, you’d have a bus every ten minutes, but by using both operators on the same ticket your actual frequency is increased to every five minutes, even if we did nothing
with the frequency of the buses.
“By encouraging more people to use public transport then you take people out of their cars and you reduce congestion.”
The plans will go ahead if the council secures a £15 million transport improvement fund, which they are currently in the running to receive.
“We’re as confident as we can be that we’ll secure the funding. We’ve gone through the first stage of the process, time will tell,” said Mr Barnes.
Improvements to Bournemouth’s walking facilities and cycle network are also part of the plan.
Mr Barnes said: “We want to improve all forms of sustainable transport, so cycling, walking, and using public transport. We want to encourage more efficient use of the network and get more people travelling by those modes.”
The Department for Transport has made available £560 million through the Local Sustainable Transport Fund. The funding is being offered to help local transport authorities support the local economy and reduce carbon emissions.
