Improvements to bus services may be coming to Bracknell as Bracknell Forest Council wants to encourage people to travel more sustainably.

Bracknell Forest Council’s Local Transport Plan highlights that the borough faces ‘high levels of car use and car dependency’ as well as ‘low uptake in walking, cycling, and active travel despite network’.

The plan, which outlines the authority’s strategy for managing and maintaining the wider transport system of the borough, includes modernised bus service features.

The report says that despite the regeneration of Bracknell town centre, overall bus use has ‘fallen slightly’ since 2011.

Although this is in line with wider trends across England, the report says that greater reliance on cars may explain the drop in use.

This comes despite the ‘significant upgrade’ to the bus station completed in 2015, which provided new waiting areas and real time information screens.

Now, potential measures to boost bus use include tap-on/tap-off card readers on buses and bus priority at traffic lights.

Discounted fares for young people and improvements at bus stops may also be considered.

The Local Transport summary report says that these measures will be considered ‘to encourage more people to use local buses’.

Increasing operational costs alongside the reduced number of people travelling by bus has caused services to require more financial support.

The report also says that areas away from the town centre are ‘becoming increasingly difficult to serve’.

While more modern approaches like smart phone apps may attract new bus users, the report also warns it could leave more elderly residents or those without access to technology ‘behind’.

Not only have changes taken place to bus use, but there have been ‘significant changes’ to how people across the borough travel overall.

With more people working from home and not commuting to work, there are less cars on the road at peak times, traffic data suggests.

While there are fewer cars in peak morning and evening periods, these are being replaced by more goods vehicles which is ‘presumably a result of more flexible working and more home deliveries’.

This results in a ‘number of challenges’ for Bracknell Forest Council to balance the needs of businesses and consumers alongside environmental aims.

The Local Transport Plan for 2025-37 will be debated by Bracknell Forest Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Commission on October 8.

Council officers have recommended that the draft is also looked at the Environment and Communities Overview and Scrutiny Panel.

It will then go to public consultation before seeking final approval from the cabinet.