Three bus services supported by Nottingham City Council (NCC) will be retained for the 2024/25 financial year after proposals had been discussed to remove funding.
The council, which is looking to close a £50m deficit for the upcoming budget period, says the Medilink, LocalLink and EasyLink – known collectively as Linkbus – will be retained by using alternative funding sources.
However, funding for Medilink will be removed from April 2025. In the meantime, alternative funding streams will be sought.
Currently, more than 50% of the Medilink service is paid for by NCC, with the remainder funded by the NHS. However, the plan is to “work with the NHS Trust to develop an alternative operating model for the service”.
Medilink serves medical facilities and park-and-ride sites, EasyLink provides acceessible minibus transport and LocalLink connects areas not reached by the commercial network. All three are operated by CT4N.
It was also announced that public transport infrastructure, including park -and-ride sites and the real-time information displays at bus stops, will be retained via alternative funding. However, this is subject to a review “in the wider region” and with the East Midlands Combined Authority, which will be formed this spring.
It was also confirmed that concessionary fares will be reviewed in conjunction with the wider region and new combined authority “to ensure a consistency of approach”.
NCC will finalise its budget for the 2024/25 financial year on 4 March. Exceptional financial support of up to £40m is being sought from the government following the issue of a Section 114 notice.
Following proposals for cuts announced in December, a public consultation led to feedback from 5,4000 residents.
