Worksop closer to getting a bus station as council takes over office

The information office in the Stagecoach depot on Hardy Street will close on 1st August.

The county council’s transport and highways committee agreed to take over its running from Stagecoach to ensure ‘continuity of service and enhanced information’ for bus and coach passengers in Worksop.

The authority has said the facilities will be upgraded so that it ‘closely mirrors’ the travel information offices at Retford and Newark bus stations, and will cost approximately £20,000 each year to run.

“Taking over the travel information office demonstrates our commitment to Worksop and to providing bus passengers with the information they need via a friendly, face-to-face service,” said Coun Richard Jackson, chairman of the highways and transport committee.

“A new bus station for Worksop is part of our Capital Programme and we have put aside £50,000 for the coming year for outline design and in the meantime, I hope that the bus travel information point will be a welcome and much-used facility.”

Negotiations have also started to pilot local bus and National Express ticket sales at the office which, if successful, will be rolled out to other bus stations across the county.

The authority says it is working with Bassetlaw Council on plans for a new bus station in Worksop along the lines of those already built in Newark and Retford.

Coun Kevin Greaves welcomed the news as a step in the right direction. Along with Bassetlaw MP John Mann he has been campaigning for a bus station in Worksop.

Back in February they started collecting signatures on a petition to urge the county council into action.

“We welcome this small step in the county council taking over the running of the travel information office, after Stagecoach gave notice that they were pulling out,” said Coun Greaves.

“But it does go to show that if Labour keeps the pressure on this Tory county council they will in the end have to reluctantly concede and give Worksop people the bus station that Worksop deserve.”

But Mr Mann seemed less then impressed with this latest development in the saga.

He said: “We don’t need a new information provider, we need a new bus station. I propose land alongside Queen Street car park as the location.”