Calls for new bus route to link communities across Milton Keynes
Calls have been made for a new bus route linking rapidly growing communities across western Milton Keynes.
The proposed service would connect Stony Stratford, Fairfields, Whitehouse, Hazeley, Oxley Park and Westcroft, following significant housebuilding in the area.
Cllr Kunal Puri (Con, Watling) has submitted a motion to Milton Keynes City Council arguing that public transport provision needs to keep pace with the expansion of western neighbourhoods.
The motion says communities including Whitehouse, Fairfields, Oxley Park, Kingsmead, Tattenhoe Park and Hazeley have experienced significant housing growth and continue to expand.
But many residents are said to have limited direct public transport connections to schools, healthcare, workplaces, shops and leisure facilities.
Concerns have also consistently been raised about the availability, frequency and connectivity of services, particularly in Whitehouse and Fairfields.
Cllr Puri’s motion says reliable public transport is especially important for young people, older residents, disabled people and those without access to a car.
It argues that better connections could reduce congestion, improve air quality, encourage sustainable travel and reduce residents’ reliance on private vehicles.
If councillors approve the motion, the council’s cabinet member for environment, waste, highways and transport would be asked to support the exploration of the potential route.
The proposal would then be shared with relevant bus operators through the council’s existing Enhanced Partnership arrangements.
Interested operators could receive information about historic contracted bus services and the use of demand-responsive transport in the affected areas, alongside other relevant council data.
The cabinet member would engage with interested operators about potential demand, the route’s structure and frequency, operating requirements and its overall feasibility.
However, the proposal does not mean that a new bus service is guaranteed to take to the road.
Operators would be responsible for assessing whether the route could be commercially viable, using their specialist operational knowledge.
The motion also asks the council to consider whether financial support might be available if an operator identifies a viable opportunity.
This could include future subsidies or available local authority bus funding, subject to the council’s existing policies and financial arrangements.
A relevant scrutiny committee would also be asked to examine bus provision and connectivity in western Milton Keynes as part of its future work programme.
Its investigation would consider both the opportunities and barriers to improving services in communities experiencing significant housing growth.
The cabinet member would ultimately report back to full council on discussions with operators and any resulting proposals to improve bus connectivity.
The motion remains a proposal and must be approved by councillors before the requested work can proceed.