The lack of regular, cheap, reliable public transport is a major issue for Nuneaton. Keith was a founding member of the Nuneaton rail user group back in 2008 when the Department for Transport/Virgin Trains reduced our mainline services in the off- peak. It took over a decade to get an off-peak service back, under the new Avanti franchise. Having multiple operators and restricted tickets is not always helpful. Going to Birmingham is stupidly expensive and overcrowded. We urgently need 4 trains per hour on that route. Keith has been asking for a Stockingford station for 2 decades.
Rather than better services for us, the County Council has been backing a plan which would see a new Coventry to Nottingham service via Leicester, bypassing Nuneaton station and running through Hinckley without stopping.
Our service to Coventry was supposed to be increased to twice an hour when new stations were built, but the required bay platform at Coventry was cancelled multiple times. Locally, Keith has been pushing for a 2nd entrance to Nuneaton station on the Weddington Terrace side.
Buses need a massive overhaul and to be taken back into public control, hopefully alongside the West Midlands railways. Having an integrated, good value and reliable system across the West Midlands region will provide massive social, environmental and economic benefits. Keith will campaign for Nuneaton to be included in the West Midlands public transport system and ticketing offers. That needs to include extending free travel schemes to include rail travel. Hopefully this will be possible with local government reorganisation.