Better buses for Stoke-on-Trent

Anyone who lives in Stoke-on-Trent knows that getting around our city by bus can be far harder than it should be and used to be.

In too many communities, services are patchy, routes are slow, and connections just don’t join up.

If you live in Meir Hay, Eaton Park, parts of Northwood, Sneyd Green or Fenton, you may face a long walk just to reach a working bus stop.

For older residents or people with mobility issues, that’s not a minor inconvenience; it’s a daily barrier to work, healthcare, and social life.

We deserve better.

That’s why new laws which have almost completed their passage through Parliament matter so much for Stoke-on-Trent.

The Bus Services (No. 2) Bill will give our city council the power to take control of local buses: setting up a municipally owned bus company, franchising routes, and ensuring services our communities need are provided even where they aren’t profitable.

It’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rebuild a network that works for people, not just for profit.

Since privatisation, our city’s bus network has been stripped back, leaving gaps you can measure not just in miles, but in lost opportunities.

The good news is that the foundations for improvement are already being laid. Last year, the new Labour Government awarded almost £10 million to Stoke-on-Trent for bus service improvement.

That money has capped fares, extended routes, and improved stops.

Passenger numbers are up, more buses are on the road, and for the first time in years, it feels like we’re moving in the right direction.

But if we want a network that people can truly rely on, we need to go further.

First, we must reinstate bus lanes at key junctions. The last Conservative administration removed them from major pinch-points, forcing buses to sit in the same traffic jams as cars. Priority lanes won’t slow other road users, but they will make bus travel faster and more reliable.

Second, it’s time to switch on the remaining real-time information displays at bus stops. The equipment is there, but a council dispute has been stopping it from being used and we are still waiting for some of these displays to be switched on. These displays give passengers confidence and certainty, and in 2025 they should be a basic expectation, not a luxury.

Third, we should restore concessionary bus travel before 9:30am. This cut, made by the Tories in 2012 to save just £100,000 a year, stops older and disabled passengers travelling early for work, appointments, or family commitments.

With the funding we now have, it’s affordable, and it’s the right thing to do.

Fourth, let’s invest in bus shelters. Too many are broken, graffitied, or missing altogether. If we want people to choose buses, we must make waiting for them safe and comfortable.

Finally, we should set a simple, goal: no one in Stoke-on-Trent should live more than a 10-minute walk from a working bus stop.

This would open up the network to thousands of residents currently cut off from regular services.

The Bus Services (No. 2) Bill will give us the power to do all of this.

But power is just the start. It takes political will and community input to turn it into real change. I’ll work with the City Council to press for these improvements and make sure investment reaches every community.

Better buses are about far more than transport.

They’re about access to jobs, education, and healthcare.

They’re about keeping families connected and supporting our local economy.

They’re about making Stoke-on-Trent a city where public transport is a genuine alternative to the car, reducing congestion, cutting emissions, and improving quality of life.

So let’s get on with the job and build a bus network that works for everyone in Stoke-on-Trent.