Bus could be coming for night owls

Shrewsbury Business Improvement District (BID) is in early talks with a number of operators with a view to providing a bus which would run late in to the night.

The BID hopes the service would offer an alternative to people walking home or catching taxis after a night out.

Alex Vladmimirov, project manager for the BID said: "We need to get people home safely after a night out in Shrewsbury.

"Not only are we looking at more taxi ranks and taxi drivers, we are looking at more options for getting people home. It is a hard one to predict how much we should have to provide but we are encouraged to see in the proposed changes to parking provision in the town that would allow any loading bays in the town to be used as taxi ranks after 8pm.

"Shrewsbury is a destination for a night out and so we are looking at working with a bus provider to lay on a service which would allow people to get home safely.

"There is nothing definitive at the moment but it is important that people do not get stuck in town centre.

"We would like to be able to give people the option of a night bus. There are lots of things that need to be sorted out before it goes live. We have to work out a lot of things to do with this."

Routes for the bus, along with timetables and operators are still in the early stages.

The proposed bus service would also help the town's bid for a Purple Flag.

For the third year in a row, the BID is applying for the award which is given to towns and cities with safe and welcoming evening and night time economies.

The town was awarded the Purple Flag in 2016 and retained it this year and saw a 20 per cent increase in people enjoying nights out in the town.

The Purple Flag programme is managed by the Association of Town and City Management.

"Shrewsbury has a lot of things in the town centre, it is not just bars and restaurants," said Alex. "We have to raise our game each year and we feel we have managed to do that. This year we have to show what changes have happened within the town, changes for the mix and variety of what is on offer."

Shrewsbury and Hereford are the only places within the West Mercia Police force area to have been awarded the flag. Shrewsbury's is currently displayed in the Street Pastors' office on Shoplatch.