Graham says transport should connect communities, not isolate them, as residents share their experiences.
People across Holderness are telling Graham that unreliable transport is leaving communities cut off from work, healthcare, family and everyday life, according to early findings from his constituency transport survey.
More than 100 people have already taken part in the survey, with responses from across Holderness highlighting the impact that poor transport can have on daily life.
While 87% of respondents say they use a car or van, many also rely on buses, with half using local bus services. Residents say they simply want transport they can rely on, whether travelling to work, hospital appointments, the shops or to see family.
One respondent told Graham:
“Without a car, I would find it almost impossible to attend hospital appointments.”
Another said:
“Sometimes buses do not turn up at all.”
Others described being forced to rely on expensive taxis, struggling to get to work because of unreliable services, and feeling increasingly cut off when transport options fail.
The strongest themes emerging from the Holderness responses are calls for more reliable buses, better connections to Hull and Beverley, and roads that are repaired properly rather than patched repeatedly.
The survey builds on Graham’s long-running work on transport, including campaigning to protect Hull Trains, making the case for York to Hull rail via Beverley, opposing higher costs for rural motorists, pressing for better bus services and taking residents’ pothole concerns to East Riding of Yorkshire Council.
Earlier this summer, Graham also met the Mayor’s new Director of Transport before writing to Mayor Luke Campbell setting out the transport priorities residents have raised with him.
In September, Graham will publish the full survey findings and present them to Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, transport operators and Government ministers.
Graham said:
“The message coming through from Holderness is clear.
“When transport doesn’t work, people don’t just miss a bus. They miss hospital appointments, struggle to get to work, find it harder to see family and become cut off from the opportunities many of us take for granted.
“In rural communities, transport isn’t a luxury. It’s what allows people to live independent lives.
“People don’t care who is responsible. They care whether transport works.
“My job is to make sure the organisations responsible hear what local people are saying and act on it. That’s why I’m asking as many people as possible to complete my survey before I present the findings in September.
“If you’ve not yet shared your views, I’d encourage you to take a few minutes to do so.”
