Stockton North MP, Alex Cunningham, has secured backing from Transport Secretary Grant Shapps MP, for Tees Valley Mayoral candidate Jessie Joe Jacobs’ “Bring Back the Buses” campaign.
Speaking at Transport Questions this morning (12 March), Alex asked the Minister if he would back the “Bring Back the Buses” campaign to reconnect isolated communities and villages in my area which have lost their services?” A request which Mr Shapps agreed with.
Under the 2017 Bus Services Act, Combined Authority Mayors have the powers to regulate buses, determine routes and fares, and grow bus usage.
Jessie Joe Jacobs is pledging to bring bus services back to communities across Teesside, including areas such as Port Clarence and the villages of west Stockton – an issue Alex has been campaigning on for some time, securing the villages as part of the TVCA’s Tees Flex pilot.
Alex said:
I was delighted that, in response to my question at Transport Questions this morning, the Transport Secretary put his support behind Jessie for Tees Valley Mayor‘s “Bring Back the Buses” Campaign.
So far all we’ve seen in the Tees Valley is a limited “on demand service” but no real action to bring proper bus services back to communities such as the villages in west Stockton.
Our communities need real bus services, not gimmicks. If our current Mayor won’t sort our public transport out and make it work for local people, we need someone who will.
