Optimistic Prospects of a New Night Bus Service to UEA
Lib Dems have enthusiastically joined calls from the UEA Student Union for the night buses serving the University of East Anglia (UEA) to be reinstated. Buses to/from the campus now cease around midnight, with First Bus claiming that, because passenger numbers had fallen since the covid pandemic, it was uneconomic to continue running the service into the night. However, there are hopes that there could soon be a change of heart.
Leader of the Lib Dems on Norfolk County Council, Brian Watkins, said:
Norfolk has recently been awarded £50 million to improve bus services around the county. Surely, some of that money can be used to reintroduce a service that is still much-needed by students and would serve an important social need.
Cllr Brian Watkins, Leader of the Lib Dems on Norfolk County Council
A commitment to look into student bus travel, in terms of both quality provided and price charged, was included in the Lib Dem plan for students set out by candidate for University Ward James Hawketts at the local elections in 2023. He is delighted to see possible progress on this front, and applauds the Student Union for their initiative and advocacy in looking into this possibility.
University Ward Spokesperson for the Lib Dems, James Hawketts
He said:
A night time bus service to the UEA is a win-win for all involved. Local residents can sleep easier knowing there are fewer people having to resort to roving the streets at night trying to get home. Students, and in particular women, can feel safer returning after a night out on the town. And our local businesses and nightlife can better thrive from more students pounding their pavements with more cash in their pockets. The whole community would be well served by this, and I would love to see it allocated the necessary funding.
University Ward Spokesperson, James Hawketts