New group gives South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership a voice on public transport services

A new scrutiny group of councillors, the first of its kind formed by the South & East Lincolnshire Councils Partnership, will look to work with local and national partners to influence, change and improve the public transport service in Boston, East Lindsey and South Holland.

The Joint Public Transport Task and Finish group, made up of elected members from all three council areas, will look to scrutinise topics of common interest that would benefit from a joint, partnership approach.

Whilst the Partnership has no direct management of public transport provision, the group will look to gather data and feedback for the area, and understand the policies in place on a regional, local and national level. It will also gather examples of best practice and innovation taking place elsewhere, to present a series of recommendations for the future of the service.

The outcomes from this focus by the Partnership will include new policies and approaches to public transport in the sub-region, new innovative projects that can be promoted on behalf of residents, and a stronger ability to lobby for change and investment at a local and national level

Public transport was chosen as the first area of focus for the Partnership due to the wide-ranging influence it is able to have, including for economic growth, social mobility, giving access to town centres and leisure facilities, and its support for the visitor economy.

Despite not running these services themselves, the Partnership has an important role to play in helping to bring about change and improvements, and will look to work closely with the organisations with direct control over public transport in the area, including Lincolnshire County Council and other providers.

Councillor Chris Brewis, chairman of the Joint Public Transport Task and Finish group, said: "I am delighted to be chosen to chair this new group, having long been an advocate of the importance of effective and accessible public transport.

"I am looking forward to working collaboratively with councillors from across the Partnership, and with our external partners and organisations who provide the services, to bring a wealth of knowledge and ideas together and create a strong collective voice for the area.

"Our ambition is to be able to put forward innovative and impactful recommendations that will not only improve our public transport provision but, through that, the daily experience for our residents, visitors, local businesses and economy."