Government urged to back buses in Lincolnshire

People in Coningsby say they need more buses to connect them with other villages and towns

Rural bus services in Lincolnshire need to improve in order to boost the county’s economy it is claimed.

In Coningsby, residents told the BBC affordable, round-the clock services were needed to enable people to get to work and access health services.

Lincolnshire County Council recently announced some improved routes, but critics claimed more funding was needed from the new Labour government if it wanted to boost jobs and growth.

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has promised to support local leaders to deliver better bus services across the country.

People the BBC spoke to were concerned about the lack of round-the-clock, regular services between towns and villages.

Coningsby is on the bus route between Lincoln and Boston, but has no Sunday or public holiday services.

Shift workers or agency staff working in the area must either be able to drive or rely on help from others to get to where they need to be.

Simon Louden said the lack of buses is limiting his job prospects

Simon Louden said his attempts to get a job in either Lincoln or Boston have been dashed because the bus times do not work with shift times.

"It's not practical to arrive [at work] on time," he said.

He does not drive, using his bicycle to get around.

Mr Louden said more investment was needed to bring Lincolnshire in line with services in London and Manchester.

Sarah-Louise Fairburn said limited transport options are holding back young people

Sarah-Louise Fairburn runs a luxury hamper business in Coningsby.

She said young people were unable to secure work because of Lincolnshire's limited bus network.

Ms Fairburn said: "I would love to have more young people work in our business, whether it's packing in our factory or working in e-commerce.

"They bring really key, valuable skills."

Ms Fairburn also called on the government to improve the roads in and out of the county, which she believed was holding back growers as well as e-commerce businesses.

Lincolnshire County Council has recently announced a series of bus transport improvements across Lincolnshire, working alongside the bus company Stagecoach.

These included improvements to coastal services between Skegness, Ingoldmells, Chapel St Leonards and Mablethorpe, and more frequent buses at the weekend.

The council is reliant on government funding.

The King's Speech, which set out the government's priorities for the next parliamentary term, suggested the issue was on the radar of the new Labour administration.

It announced that "local leaders will be given powers to take control of buses while train companies will be brought into public ownership".

Follow BBC Lincolnshire on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail]