Members of our communities deserve a robust and reliable transport infrastructure, and since I was elected I have been working hard to improve our local road, bus and train networks so we can get to work and back to our families safely, whilst also supporting green transport options wherever possible.
The Conservatives secured the funding we needed to build the Melton Mowbray Distributor Road, and work on the north section of the MMDR is now well underway. After more that 40 years of being promised this road, I am so pleased that we have been able to fight through the bureaucracy and economic difficulties of the current times, to actually see it being built.
I was elected on a commitment to make the A1 safer, including increasing its capacity and trying to find solutions to tackle accident hotspots, especially at the dangerous A52 junction through Bottesford.
Work has now been completed at 5 points along the A1 from the Tinwell Junction to the Colsterworth Interchange. Whilst over the next few decades we will need many more improvements, I'm delighted to see these first changes in place. In July this year I was pleased to have secured Vehicle Activated Road Signs for the treacherous A52 Junction at Bottesford. The installation of these signs is a welcome start, but I am continuing to call for National Highways to commit to planning for a full redesign of this dangerous junction. I will do everything I can to lobby the Department for Transport and the Treasury to secure the funding needed to make this a reality.
As part of our successful £23 million Levelling Up Bid, £6.5 million will be invested in an on-demand rural bus network, linking Rutland and Melton's towns, bringing communities together and helping tackle rural loneliness. Our local bus networks will also receive increased funding as part of the Government's Bus Service Improvement Plan, helping to improve the capacity, frequency and quality of our services.
Rest assured, I am continuing to put pressure on the Government to ensure that the rurality of our communities across Rutland, Melton, the Vale and Harborough villages is considered to ensure our Councils receive the transport funding they deserve.
