Jon Pearce: Another big win in the campaign for better local public transport

For too many people across the High Peak, getting around without a car remains a real challenge. That is why I am so pleased that, following a long-running local campaign, the 61 bus service is being expanded, with later evening services on Fridays and Saturdays and a new Sunday service.

Bus route 61 is a vital link between Buxton, Whaley Bridge, New Mills, Hayfield and Glossop. For those who rely on it, this is about much more than getting from one town to another. It means being able to get to work, college, appointments, the shops, or to see friends and family. Better services support our local economy, strengthen our communities and give people greater independence.

Residents have campaigned for these improvements for some time, and I have been proud to work alongside them and Labour East Midlands Mayor, Claire Ward, to make the case for an expanded service. I am particularly pleased that Claire has now committed the funding to make it happen.

This is a great example of what devolution can deliver when decisions and investment are placed in the hands of people who understand the needs of our communities.

It also stands in stark contrast to the years of decline under the Conservatives, during which Derbyshire lost nearly half its bus journeys.

The 61 route improvements are just one part of the wider work I am doing to improve transport across the High Peak.

One of my first major wins as your MP was tackling the unfairness faced by our young people travelling to college in Greater Manchester. They were paying significant transport costs while students just five minutes over the border could travel for free. Working with Claire, I helped secure free bus travel for our children, saving local families hundreds of pounds a year and removing a major barrier to education.

In the Hope Valley, I also pressed for action after unlawful parking linked to a TikTok sunrise and sunset craze around Mam Tor blocked roads, prevented farmers from accessing their fields and even delayed emergency services. After raising the issue with councils, the police and the Peak District National Park locally, and nationally in Parliament and with ministers, we have seen better signage, road markings and enforcement.

And, with Mayor Claire’s support, we have secured £6 million for the Hope Valley ‘mini-Switzerland’ project. This will better integrate buses and trains through simple, reliable, clockwork timetables, improved connections, less waiting and joined-up tickets.

The Labour Government’s work to end the fractured model of rail privatisation and return services to public control is another step in the right direction - putting passengers before profits.

I know from speaking to residents at surgeries, coffee mornings and community events how important these issues are. People tell me about buses that do not run frequently enough, services that finish too early and the difficulty of reaching work, college or hospital without a car.

Good public transport is not a luxury. For our towns and villages, it is an essential public service.

There is still plenty more to do, but the expansion of the 61 route is a significant step forward. I will continue working with Mayor Claire, local councils, transport providers and residents to secure further improvements and cut congestion across the High Peak.