Latest News from NHBUG. - May 13 Update
Elections for Hertfordshire County Council took place on Thursday May 1st.
From being Conservative run HCC is now 'no overall control' with the Liberals the largest party. Updates and more details to follow shortly.
Response to a query from NHBUG from the Liberal candidate Sean Prendergast, who is now the Councillor for Letchworth South.
A good and reliable bus service is vitally important.
Are bus plans are as follows:
- Pursue franchised bus services.
- Expand demand responsive transport including to smaller towns – possibly as an alternative to current scheduled services.
- Improve east- west transport with direct bus routes between towns in place of the previous HERT proposals.
The first point is key to improving bus services. It allows the council rather than the bus companies to makes decisions on when and where the buses will run. However, it depends on legislation that the government has said will be introduced.
The second point recognises that in some areas it would not be feasible to run a timetabled service that is frequent enough to attract users who have an alternative. But that HertsLynx has done this successfully.
Your own views as Bus Users are always welcome. Please get in touch at
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A major 900 homes development has been approved south of Graveley.
It will be served by the existing 55 route between Letchworth and Steveange and by a new proposed 92 service between Stevenage and Baldock.
More news when it becomes available.
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Bus 84B: Potters bar to Barnet bus route future 'secure'
Bus 84B: Potters bar to Barnet bus route future 'secure' | Welwyn Hatfield Times
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Change to 37 service from 25/3/2025 - Evening peak service revised with departures from Stevenage at 17.00 and 19.00 (previously 17.25 and 18.10) and current 16.07 journey from Buntingford to Stevenage now operates at 15.22. Minor changes to some Saturday departures.
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Chris Hinchliff MP attended a meeting of NHBUG on 1st November. In his latest column for the Comet newspaper he sums up the problems very accurately:
See the article at https://www.thecomet.net/news/24751734.chris-hinchliff-mp-can-improve-north-east-herts-buses/
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The £2 fare cap for bus service has increased to £3 for 2025. See Intalink response
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Draft Minutes of the NHBUG meeting of 1st November 2024 ( tbc at next meeting )
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53 services to Lordship Penn Way now leave from Stop C Station Rd and Stop B outside former Barclays Bank at (mostly) 35 past the hour. Wilbury services still leave from Stop H outside Morrisons
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Stevenage BUG held their AGM on 14 September 2024.
The problems with bus services in North Herts and Stevenage continue. See the reports below for details of this and other interesting items from Stevenage:
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The new government has announced its plan for Better Buses
See more details
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BUT: Herts CC decide against Bus Franchising (May 2024)
Under a franchising system the Council or a central authority make decisions on bus services and monitor their operation with the bus companies being paid to run the services to an acceptable standard. Despite this being a much better system than the current deregulated free for all the Council has decided against implementing it in Hertfordshire.
An interesting article on the subject:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clke3g03rljo
See the feedback page for more news and members' views and responses.