South Downs response to Campaign for National Park report on public transport
March 12, 2018
SDNPA Chair, Margaret Paren, responds to Campaign for National Parks report ‘National Parks for all: making car free travel easier’
“We welcome the Campaign for National Park’s (CNP) report highlighting how cuts in public transport services are preventing people from accessing our National Parks and that popular sites are suffering from excess traffic as a result. This is also a problem for the people who live and work here, for example a key bus route between Midhurst and Petersfield is currently under threat.
“Bus services in the South Downs National Park are the responsibility of the Transport Authorities (the County Councils for Hampshire, West and East Sussex and Brighton and Hove City Council) who face enormous pressures on their budgets. However, wherever possible the SDNPA is working with, and trying to influence, these authorities and the operators. We have consistently encouraged visitors to the National Park to travel by public transport where possible, and have worked with transport providers to develop a ‘discovery ticket’ allowing people to hop-on-and-off between different bus companies. We’ve also developed special car-free itineraries with ideas for exploring the areas around the markets towns of Petersfield and Lewes and a specific guide to accessing the South Downs Way national trail by bus and train. Working with partners we’ve also developed a series of new off-road multi user routes for walkers, cyclists and horse riders giving people living in urban areas outside the National Park safe off-road routes into the South Downs.
“The pressure on local authority budgets combined with changes in lifestyles, expectations and travel patterns mean more innovative solutions are needed. For example, as recommended by CNP, Government funding to pilot schemes such as on-demand and shared rural services would be hugely valuable. This is exactly the sort of issue that our partners could address through the next five-year management plan for the National Park.”