The council’s Local Transport Plan aims to transform public transport by prioritising local bus services over general traffic to make journeys by public transport quicker and more reliable, and to deliver high quality interchanges, stations, and stops. The Plan also sets out how the council will work with public transport operators to deliver integrated, efficient, affordable and attractive services, promoting local and regional connectivity.
As part of the Enhanced Bus Partnership between Portsmouth City Council and bus operators First Solent and Stagecoach South, we aim to provide the best possible bus services in Portsmouth. The Bus Passenger Charter is a guarantee of a higher standard of services.
The Bus Passenger Charter has been made possible by the Portsmouth Bus Service Improvement Plan (commonly referred to as BSIP), an investment of £48m of funding from the Department of Transport (DfT) and part of the National Bus Strategy. This is one of a series of schemes that Portsmouth City Council will be implementing to improve bus services across the city, and make a bus service that is more attractive and accessible to everyone.
What is the Bus Passenger Charter?
The Bus Passenger Charter sets out what can be expected when using all local bus services that operate across Portsmouth, including the service provided by local bus operators First Solent and Stagecoach South.
This charter lays out a series of pledges which detail what passengers can expect from their bus services in Portsmouth, including (but not limited to):
- A reliable bus service, that means buses normally running no more than one minute early or five minutes late.
- Value for money tickets, with a range of payment methods including cash, card and app.
- An increased range of tickets, which will enable easier travel by bus.
- CCTV on most buses for passenger safety and security.
- Readily available information about the progress we are making to improve bus services through regular updates on social media, real time information signs and publications.
- A network of regular bus services designed to connect people to places according to demand.
The Bus Passenger Charter was Issued in April 2023 and is valid until March 2025. The bus passenger charter was signed on 24 March 2023, by Cllr Lynne Stagg, Cabinet Member for Traffic and Transportation, Simon Goff, Managing Director, First Bus, and Gordon Frost, Operations Director, Stagecoach.
