Nottingham’s excellence in public transport has recently been recognised at the Transport Times National Transport Awards. Councillor Jane Urquhart was presented with the award for Outstanding Contribution to Local Transport at the ceremony in Manchester on Thursday 15 July.
Cllr Jane Urquhart said: “I am delighted that Nottingham City Council has been recognised for our joined up approach to public transport strategies, from planning to operation. We have an excellent partnership with organisations like the Big Wheel, Nottingham City Transport and Trent Barton. Our bus quality partnership ensures that bus operators provide a certain level of quality which has, in turn, driven up quality of buses in the entire region.
“Nottingham has two of the country’s leading bus operators and our buses carry more people than in any other city outside London in the UK.
“Nottingham City Transport picked up the winning new customers award at the 2009 UK bus awards, and in May this year the biggest, and first area-wide, statutory bus quality partnership was launched. Nottingham has seen year-on-year increases in bus and tram use. There are now 47 million bus passengers per year in Nottingham and 10 million tram passengers. With that base from which to work, I am confident that Nottingham City is in a strong position to respond to the difficult financial climate we are now facing.”
Professor David Begg, Integrated Transport and Infrastructure Expert & Editor of Transport Times, said: “This is a special award that we present to people who have shown leadership at a local level and to celebrate success stories. Nottingham has continued to build on its excellent public transport infrastructure and is one of the few cities to reduce car congestion during a period of growth. This is down to the successful policies that Nottingham has implemented and is managing to pursue. We want other cities to learn from the likes of Nottingham and this award is well deserved.”
