No deal Brexit 'could put an end to Shropshire community bus service'
A no-deal Brexit could put an end to a community bus service which provides a lifeline to residents in rural areas, it has been warned.
John Harrison, who runs North Salop Wheelers, said if Britain crashes out of the EU at the end of March without a deal, it could affect the bus service.
He said MPs should listen to the advice from car manufacturers who say production at UK factories would be disrupted for weeks or maybe months if Theresa May fails to strike a Brexit deal.
North Salop Wheelers run four buses and two cars and ferries people without transport to the supermarket, appointments and even the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Princes Royal Hospital (PRH), Telford.
Mr Harrison said the vehicles have to be up to a certain health and safety standard and relies on being able to get them fixed quickly.
"We have to operate safely and legally," he said. "If our bus has a problem it has to go off the road which means the service stops.
"At the moment we have a great mechanic who can get things sorted quickly but if there are delays in getting parts into the country or production stoppages, who knows how long it will take to get the bus back on the road.
Damage
"The roads are not in great condition either so it takes a huge toll on our buses. The other day a driver had picked up a patient from PRH and thought they were about to go through a puddle but it was in fact a 12-inch deep hole. It caused a lot of damage but we needed to get it repaired immediately and we did."
Mr Harrison has written a letter outlining his concerns to north Shropshire MP Owen Paterson, who has previously said the public should not fear a no deal Brexit.
"I can't believe the attitude of our MP," Mr Harrison added. "He and all of the other MPs are ignoring the ordinary people.
"I wrote to him with my concerns and got a reply saying how good Brexit is. How would he feel if it was his poorly gran who needed a lift to hospital but couldn't get there because the community bus she relied on is no longer in use?
"If the situation pans out like the motor industry says it will, North Salop Wheelers could well stop. It will grind to a halt and we may well end up going out of business."
