North Devon is on the cusp of a green revolution, as MP Selaine Saxby and Transport Secretary Mark Harper unveil a multi-million pound investment in zero-emission public transport. Selaine Saxby, MP for North Devon welcomed the Secretary of State for Transport, Mark Harper MP to see where £5 million of Government Funding for Road Safety Improvements to the A361 will be spent and discussed a separate announcement and funding pot for new zero emission buses for Barnstaple.
Regarding the bus plan, The Transport Secretary confirmed that 955 zero emission buses will hit the road as 25 councils receive funding to decarbonise their bus fleets, with rural areas prioritised as part of the government’s plan to improve local transport.
The funding comes from the second round of the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) programme, which will see new electric buses in towns, villages and cities across England, including the most rural parts of the country, many of which will get zero emission buses for the first time.
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Devon has received more than £7 million worth of funding for electric vehicle charging to help residents without off street parking switch to electric vehicles. The open call for sites for EV charging points at Parish and Community car parks in Devon can be found here.
On the Transport Secretary’s visit to North Devon, Selaine also took the opportunity to raise with him the urgency for reopening the Barnstaple bus station after visiting the Barnstaple train station and the station’s successful café. Selaine mentioned the issues with overcrowding on the Barnstaple trains and how further improvements can be made to better manage the train line.
Selaine Saxby said: “I have been contacted by residents across North Devon and councillors across the political spectrum regarding the poor condition of our roads. I took the opportunity to raise this issue with the Secretary of State for Transport, on his recent visit to North Devon, how we can expedite the repairs and ensure they are done efficiently, especially now that the funding, I helped secure, is now with Devon County Council.
“I would like to thank the Transport Secretary for his visit and for his reassurance on this matter and that there will be further guidance for councils. I know that there are teams across Devon working hard on the roads, but Devon’s roads are 2,000 miles longer than any other county, and longer than Norway’s entire road network.
"However, I, like you want to know when we will see improvements beyond just patching so I am glad to have been able to show the Transport Secretary how urgent some of our cases are in rural North Devon.
“But potholes aside, as we look to decarbonise our transport network, I am delighted that the 21 and 21A buses will become electric, and having raised the closure of the Barnstaple bus station with the Secretary of State, I hope we will have an open bus station to use in Barnstaple long before that electrification.”
On his visit to North Devon, Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, said: “We are really pleased that this (Safer Roads Fund) scheme has been awarded to the A361 where there are real challenges on the road, it’s got a poor safety record so it is brilliant that it's in the Safer Roads Fund, with just over £5 million going to Devon County Council. We've been able to talk to the team this morning about the detail and what they are going to do to help make these roads safer. Over a number of years this investment is going to save lives, prevent casualties, and really improve road safety in North Devon.”
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