£450,000 cuts could see Shropshire bus services slashed

In a bid to save more than £450,000, the council is proposing to cut services on the routes it is responsible for and increase fares on Shrewsbury's Park & Ride.

A public consultation has now opened and will run until May 6.

The council’s financial strategy for 2019/20 includes a budget reduction of £405,000 in public transport, and £50,000 for Shrewsbury Park & Ride.

To achieve these reductions a number of initiatives will have to be implemented and the consultation asks for people’s views about these proposed changes.

With regard to Shrewsbury's Park & Ride service, concessionary rates would be removed, fares would increase from £1.60 to £2 per person and the group ticket, which allows up to five people to travel for £2.50, would no longer be issued.

A number of routes are also set to be removed or reduced.

The Plox Green to Bishop's Castle route, which currently runs five journeys per day, will be reduced to two.

Bridgnorth town service will run hourly Monday to Saturday instead of every 30 minutes and the Wem town, Ludlow town, Ellesmere town and Whitchurch town services will be reduced.

The Telford to Bridgnorth Saturday service will be withdrawn and the Monday to Saturday Shrewsbury to Bridgnorth will now run once an hour.

Bennetts Travel Market Drayton town service will start at 9am instead of 7am and will run every 30 minutes compared to the current 20 minutes.

Pupils

Under the proposals a number of school services for non-entitled pupils will be removed. These include the 405 Oswestry town service and the 37 from Meole School to Weeping Cross.

The 576 service from Oswestry to Shrewsbury will be reduced to one service every two hours and the peak journey in the morning will operate to Shrewsbury only.

Five Shrewsbury town services will be revised and the Broseley to Bridgnorth evening journeys will be removed as will the Cardington to Shrewsbury Saturday service via Acton Burnell.

The Monday to Saturday Lyth Hill to Shrewsbury service will also stop due to a fall in passenger numbers.

The Clun Valley Shrewsbury Dial-a-Ride will withdraw its Saturday service.

Simon Harris, Shropshire Council’s deputy Cabinet member for public transport, said: “It’s well known that as a result of central government funding cuts we need to make significant savings in many of our service areas, and this includes public transport. Under these proposals the number of bus journeys in the county would be reduced, and we recognise the potential impact of this on bus users and local communities.

“We have to operate within our budget, but as part of these proposals we are also looking to the future and are looking at how we can provide the best possible transport service in the years ahead."

To take part in the consultation, go to shropshire.gov.uk/get-involved