People urged to use Oswestry's free bus service

Oswestry Town Council is working in partnership with Tanat Valley Coaches and Shropshire Council to deliver the free, Saturday town bus service throughout the year.

In a drive to reduce carbon emissions in the town, Oswestry Town Council says the free bus travel on the town services every Saturday is available for all residents.

Catch the Bus Month, a national campaign led by charity Bus Users UK is running in September across the UK. The campaign celebrates and promotes the social, economic and environmental benefits of bus travel, encouraging local people to celebrate the bus as a form of transport. It says switching just one journey in 25 to the bus would save two million tonnes of CO2 emissions.

The Town Council alongside Tanat Valley Buses is calling on residents who have never tried the bus to give it a go.

Chris Chadd, from Tanat Valley Coaches, said: “Most people would be surprised at what the bus has to offer now in terms of technology, comfort, affordability and accessibility.

"We have made big investments into our bus fleet taking on Mercedes Sprinter Buses with low floor for accessibility, fully PSVAR disability access, euro six lower emissions providing ultra-low emissions to ensure we are meeting carbon reduction agenda.”

Town Mayor Jay Moore said “We are hoping we can encourage residents to use the free Saturday bus service as part of the Catch the Bus month.

"Alongside this we are very keen to look at how we can improve the infrastructure around the bus service in Oswestry. We are aware of a number of bus shelters for example that are now inadequate, both for residents and visitors, and require update to meet local need.”

Claire Walters, Chief Executive of Bus Users UK the charity behind Catch the Bus Month said: “Buses make a huge contribution to all our lives socially, economically and environmentally. They are also a lifeline for communities providing access to education, work, healthcare, shops and leisure. We want to see more people get on board this September to protect these vital services for future generations.”

Bus users are being urged to post photos of them using the bus, with the hashtag #CTBM2022 or #CatchTheBusMonth.