Elderly Shropshire people feeling trapped by lack of buses
Older people in rural areas of north Shropshire are being trapped either in their village or in large towns for long days because of the bus timetable, it has been claimed.
Councillors in Ellesmere have raised concerns about the lack of buses in and out of the town.
Councillor Ian Ward said: "People are being trapped in Ellesmere as well as not being able to get here."
He said the buses from Duddleston Heath run into Ellesmere at 8.36am or 12.27pm – with no return until 3.45pm.
"I have some real concerns, we need to get some common sense back into the service," he said.
"It is about what time people have appointments, if you have a meeting at 11am you have to leave before 9am.
"They have reduced a one hour service to almost a four-hour gap either way."
He said it was "unreasonable" for older people to have to wait and that most of the concerns have come from people who travel into town using their bus passes.
"Elderly people do not like having to travel on the same bus as all the school children, it is frightening for them and that is the only bus they have to go out of the town in the afternoon," he added.
Councillor Lynne Davies said she has had people telling her they do not know when they will be back in Ellesmere town again because they do not know about the buses.
The council heard there have also been concerns about the service to and from Welshampton.
The services are run by Arriva but Ann Hartley, Shropshire Councillor for Ellesmere, said the county council has "no power" over the service because Arriva started the route as a commercial enterprise.
The council agreed to write to the bus company raising its concerns.
