I recently met with bus company Trentbarton, and was very pleased to hear that they’re opening a new route operated by their sister company, Notts & Derby Buses. It will travel in a loop around Spondon and connects the outer village to Spondon railway station and local employment zones such as SmartParc.
This is alongside the new services recently announced by Arriva, where the existing 20 service will be extended to serve Sandringham Drive and Sancroft Road, giving these areas a direct bus to the city centre every hour. Additionally, the new 21 service will run every hour along the same route between the city and Spondon, serving Arnhem Terrace and Willowcroft Road.
Together, Spondon will have direct connections to the city centre, local shops, medical centres, the train station, and better service in the outer village.
These services were made possible thanks to Derby City Council allocating their share of the Bus Services Improvement Plan (BSIP) funding into new routes for Spondon.
This new funding comes from central government and gives local authorities, like Derby City Council and East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward, the power to target funds directly to areas that most require improved bus services.
As funding has only been secured for 12 months, I have a clear message for residents – please make the most of these services and utilise them as much as possible.