Portsmouth City Council is pleased to announce the allocation of £73,758.60 in grants to 20 local community groups, charities, and businesses to provide bus tickets and public transport training to remove barriers to the bus for everyone.
The Easy Travel Access Fund will support initiatives aimed at improving access to public transport and encouraging greater bus use across Portsmouth. Each organisation has been awarded up to £5,000 to help overcome transport barriers and ensure equal access to public travel. This initiative is part of the council’s wider efforts to create lasting change in how residents use public transport, fostering a more inclusive, sustainable, and accessible transport system for everyone.
The funded projects will support a range of initiatives, including workshops for individuals with visual impairments and programs designed to assist communities with mobility challenges, as well as providing funding to provide bus tickets for those who need it. These projects will help people navigate public transport with greater ease and confidence, reducing isolation and empowering individuals to become more independent.
Charity Open Sight were granted funding to run a series of workshops for Portsmouth’s Vision Impaired (VI) Community and their families, to share information about the city’s bus network, provide guidance about applying for concessionary bus passes, and to build confidence in people living with sight loss, encouraging them to go out and use the bus.
Another of the community groups provided with funding is the Bangladesh Welfare Association who will use the award to provide bus tickets, and support to those in their community who might not have used the bus before to build confidence, as well as organising local community trips for groups to get out and enjoy the city by bus.
The Easy Travel Access Fund awards were granted in October 2024 and are part of the council’s ongoing efforts to support more sustainable and accessible transport choices for residents.
Cllr Peter Candlish, Cabinet Member for Transport, expressed the council’s commitment to making Portsmouth’s public transport more accessible, saying:
“We are delighted to be able to support a range of local community groups, charities, and businesses with our Easy Travel Access Fund grants. This funding will play a crucial role in improving access to public transport, helping reduce isolation, and empowering individuals to use our bus services with confidence. Our aim is to create lasting change and encourage more sustainable travel choices in the city.”
Ian Morris, Head of Services at Open Sight, one of the awardees, said:
“I am thrilled that Open Sight has been awarded funding for this project by Portsmouth City Council. This funding will help us address the travel challenges faced by the vision-impaired community in Portsmouth. Through our workshops and tailored support, we aim to build confidence, reduce isolation, and empower individuals to navigate the city independently.”
Lakak Muhit, Development Officer at Bangladesh Welfare Association Portsmouth, also expressed his appreciation:
“We are grateful for the award of the Easy Travel Access Fund. This funding will help us support our community in using public transport and bring confidence in public travel services.”
The Easy Travel Access Fund plays a crucial role in Portsmouth’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP), which is central to the city’s efforts to enhance its bus services. Supported by a £48 million grant from the Department for Transport, the Portsmouth BSIP aims to make bus travel faster, more reliable, and more accessible for everyone, and is a critical part of the council’s overall plan to improve transport for everyone.
For more information about the Easy Travel Access Fund and other transport initiatives, please visit the Travel Portsmouth website.