Petition calls for bus to connect Stony Stratford to Westcroft
A petition has been launched calling for a bus service that will connect Stony Stratford and Westcroft.
The campaign, created by Diego Elio Petteno, who lives on the Whitehouse estate, has received 127 signatures at the time of writing.
It calls for a regular bus route that connects Stony Stratford and Westcroft, with calls for it to stop at Fairfields, Whitehouse, Hazeley and Oxley Park.
The petition writes: “This 7.5-kilometre route would take just 22–28 minutes, serve seven stops and four schools, and use bus lanes already built on Barrosa Way.
“The infrastructure is ready and the demand is clear.
“Milton Keynes City Council has committed to expanding bus services, and it is time to deliver on the promise made to western Milton Keynes.”
Campaigners claim that there are currently no direct buses between Whitehouse and Stony Stratford, and that a five-minute drive takes 50 minutes by bus via Central Milton Keynes.
They also say that there is no bus to the shops in Westcroft, and that a five-minute drive can take 45 minutes by bus.
Explaining why he started the petition, Diego told the Citizen: “I have been mostly moaning about the lack of bus connections for a while, and eventually it boiled over into wanting to do something about it.
“I am pleased to see that there is support for such a route - I was a bit surprised by the speed with which we reached the 100 signatures target, given that I have been only posting it on the local Facebook groups.”
Last week Milton Keynes City Council’s cabinet approved a Council Plan, which includes 70 actions that the authority claims it will take to make the city ‘a better place to live.’
The plan is due to be discussed further at a meeting of the full council, scheduled for Wednesday June 17.
Among a host of actions designed ‘to keep the city moving’ are action 60 which reads: “Look at ways to improve our local bus service, including the council taking on bus franchising powers,”, as well as action 61, which reads: “Review our demand responsive bus service, MK Connect and decide on the next steps for the service following the end of the current contract in April 2027.”
Diego added: “What I would like to see from Wednesday's vote {at full council} is a clear signal that bus franchising means new routes where they're needed, not just protecting existing ones.
“Western Milton Keynes has 15,000 residents, purpose-built bus lanes, and effectively no bus. That should be near the top of the list.”
Campaigners have contacted the city’s three Members of Parliament, as well as councillors across four wards.
A Freedom of Information request has been submitted to Milton Keynes City Council asking for information related to MK Connect trip data, coverage maps and feasibility studies for buses in the west of the city, with a deadline of the end of June for the authority to respond.