BETTER BUSES

Reliable public transport is vital to our communities. It connects people to work, education, healthcare and the opportunities that shape everyday life. I am working to improve bus and rail services across Lowestoft and the surrounding area, so that our transport network better reflects the way people live and work today.

Residents in Gunton had spent years campaigning for the return of the 107 bus service after it was withdrawn in 2019. I was proud to work alongside local councillors Graham Parker and George King to help make that case, and to see the service restored, reconnecting local people with jobs, healthcare and other essential services.

I have also been leading work to improve the 99 bus route, bringing together local employers, transport providers and partners to develop a strong business case for extending the service. Better connections on the 99 would make it easier for people to access employment, education and healthcare, while supporting businesses that rely on a workforce able to travel when and where they are needed.

To help shape the wider future of bus services, I brought together operators, local authorities, businesses, campaigners and community representatives at the Lowestoft Bus Summit. Those discussions, alongside conversations I have had with residents, employers, schools and colleges across the constituency, highlighted the need for better evening and weekend services, more reliable connections and a network that works for everyone.

I have continued pressing for practical improvements that make a real difference to passengers, including clearer real-time information, better bus shelters and improved facilities for drivers, because a reliable transport network depends on getting the basics right as well as investing in new routes.

Alongside buses, I have worked to improve rail connectivity on the East Suffolk Line. Working with Greater Anglia, the East Suffolk Travel Association, Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, East Coast College and East Suffolk Council, I helped secure timetable improvements including earlier morning services to Ipswich and Cambridge, later evening trains between Beccles and Lowestoft, and better onward connections to destinations such as Stansted Airport.

I will continue making the case for further improvements, including half-hourly rail services, better station facilities and stronger bus links that connect our communities and open up opportunity.