Bus cuts will see youngsters and elderly suffer most says Shropshire head
Post-16 students studying at colleges and schools in Oswestry could bear the brunt of proposed cuts to the county's bus services.
The headteacher of the Corbet School, in Baschurch, voiced his concerns after it was announced this week that Shropshire Council plans to slash services across the county in a bid to save hundreds of thousands of pounds each year.
Philip Adams said that while current pupils at his school would be largely unaffected by changes to the timetable of the 576 Shrewsbury to Oswestry bus, post-16 students travelling to North Shropshire College and to The Marches School, both in Oswestry, would experience some upheaval.
The service, which includes stops in Ruyton, Baschurch and Bomere Heath, currently runs every hour. However, this could change to one bus every two hours and the peak journey in the morning will only run in the Shrewsbury direction.
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Mr Adams said: "A change to this service could cause problems for those post-16 students who live in this locality who need to travel to Oswestry for their studies. They could struggle to get in to their post-16 studies.
"There is a lot of development in this area, particularly in Baschurch and Bomere Heath and this is designed to attract families. But on the other hand, Shropshire Council is cutting its much needed services to save money. The roads around here are getting busier and busier.
"Baschurch is a growth area so to cut the bus service is crazy."
Mr Adams is also concerned that a change to the bus provision could led to community isolation for the young and elderly who currently use the service.
"I have come back from meetings in town and have seen the bus is busy with people - mainly the young and old. On the weekends children use the bus to get to their Saturday jobs or to meet friends and the elderly may be using it to get to see their doctor or to just go in to town. It is a popular service although I know that may not be the case in other parts of the county."
He added: "What the council plans to save by the cuts is not a lot of money. The council is not fighting hard enough, it doesn't stand up to central government when it comes to it."
