Bus services in Knowsley 'letting people down'

MP Anneliese Midgley says her constituents are getting in touch on a "daily basis" about the buses

Bus services in an area of Merseyside with low car ownership have been "letting people down for too long" according to its MP.

Anneliese Midgley, Labour MP for Knowsley, has launched a "Big Bus Survey" to ask her constituents how they would spend a share of a £1.6bn government investment in public transport.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics showed 30% of households in Knowsley owned a car, with most public transport journeys in the borough being made by bus.

Mayor of the Liverpool city region Steve Rotheram said he hoped people would see improvements to bus services next year.

Ms Midgley said the existing bus routes, which served around 10,000 passengers in Knowsley, "simply don't meet people's needs".

She told BBC Radio Merseyside: "We have constituents coming into our office, and who get in touch with us on a daily basis saying how the bus service is letting them down and over a third of households in my constituency don't have a car."

The survey is a constituency-wide consultation offering residents the chance to share their experience of the bus network, and feedback what works well and what needs to be improved.

Rapid transit route

Midgley said: "So much of my constituency isn't properly connected; I want to see this money spent on sorting that out, making it easier to get to work and school, go the shops, or see the doctor."

She said: "People should be able to travel between Stockbridge, Huyton, Kirkby and Prescot without having to wait hours for a bus or shell out for taxis.

"Feedback from the survey will form the cornerstone of my work on transport for Knowsley, allowing me to push my constituents' priorities to the Combined Authority and the Government".

The £1.6bn will not just be spent on buses.

Earlier this year, the mayor unveiled plans for a rapid transit route linking Liverpool airport with the city's football stadiums.

The money will also be spent on three new railway stations, at Carr Mill in St Helens, Woodchurch in Wirral, and Daresbury in Halton – alongside committed schemes at Liverpool Baltic and a redeveloped Runcorn station.

'Bad to worse'

A new station in Knowsley, at Headbolt Lane, was opened in 2023.

The leader of the main opposition party on Knowsley council, the Green party's Kai Taylor said "despite years of promises from Labour's metro mayor, public transport in places like Prescot seems to go from bad to worse."

He added "buses in Prescot in particular are unreliable, services are underfunded and essential routes are often cut."

He said residents reported being late for health appointments and work, particularly in the borough's more rural areas.

Mayor of the Liverpool city region Steve Rotheram said he hoped people would see improvements to their local services once buses were taken back into public control next year: "It will give us greater control over fares, routes and timetables, so we can ensure that passengers always come before profit.

The Big Bus Survey can be completed online or in hard copy, with local community centres, shops, doctors' surgeries and libraries being asked to support and promote the campaign and hold copies of the survey form for residents to complete.