Better Buses for East Midlands
Buses are not only essential services for many but are urgently needed to meet carbon targets by replacing car journeys.
Better Buses East Midlands are campaigning for better bus services across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire and have a petition calling on East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward to Bring our Buses Back into Public Control.
What We Do
Residents across the East Midlands have formed a coalition calling for Better Buses in the East Midlands with a petition to take buses back into public control. Our coalition is part of the EMCCA Climate Coalition as well as a national Campaign for Better Buses supported by the National Pensioners Convention, local bus campaigners, trade unions and climate groups.
Local campaigners are calling for:
Guaranteed, adequate funding to make public transport the most efficient, reliable, attractive option.
Public control of buses in the East Midlands
Ultimately, full public ownership of bus services to ensure people are put before profits
Up to date and consistent advertising of public transport including full information and travel maps at bus stops.
A regular, reliable, affordable, zero-emission bus network in every village and town in Derbyshire.
For more information on the benefits of public control please see our Bus franchising FAQ.
Pushing for Better Buses in the East Midlands
Highlighted case studies collated from people across the EMCCA region of how the lack of bus services affect them (ongoing posts on our Facebook page)
Organised stalls around the region to collect signatures for our petition (ongoing)
Submitted a list of improvements in bus services people would like to see across the region to the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (July 2025)
Submitted public questions on buses at a meeting of the EMCCA Transport and Digital Connectivity Committee (June 2025)
The EMCCA Climate Coalition sent the Mayor a briefing on Rethinking how transport is funded in the East Midlands, which includes recommendations on sustainable travel measures such as public control of buses and more rural bus services (June 2025).
Submitted public questions on buses and presented the Mayor with some Better Bus Biscuits at a meeting of the EMCCA Transport and Digital Connectivity Committee (March 2025)
Launched Petition calling on the Mayor to bring buses back into public control (February 2025).
Protest about the lack of bus information, including printed timetables and information at bus-stops, in Bakewell (April 2024). See articles in the Derby Telegraph and the Derbyshire Times.
Results of a survey of local passers by in Bakewell on how frequently they use buses and the barriers stopping them using buses more (April 2024)
A day of bus action with protests in Chesterfield, Matlock and Bakewell, joined by local representatives from the National Pensioners Convention, trade unions, climate groups (including Transition Chesterfield, XR and Derbyshire Climate Coalition), individuals, bus campaigners as well as local Councillors from the Labour and Green Parties (October 2023). See press coverage in the Derbyshire Times and on BBC East Midlands
See a Chesterfield public transport map showing rail and bus routes and approximate times from Chesterfield.
See this greener holidays and travel page for links to greener travel sites.
How to get involved
Join our campaign
Lobby the East Midlands Mayor and local authorities for better bus services
Share information
Share information on buses with other local campaigners to get a better picture of where the gaps are to inform our campaigning.
Sign our petition
Please sign and share our petition to Bring Buses Back into Public Control.
“Buses are a lifeline for many people, yet over 400,000 people in the East Midlands are at risk of transport related social exclusion”
Get in touch
Contact Lisa at:
transitionchesterfield@yahoo.co.uk