Shropshire Council awards £100,000 grant to not-for-profit transport service

The not-for-profit service provides support to those in Shropshire who are unable to access or use public transport including older and vulnerable people, and residents who are terminally ill or have disabilities or restricted mobility.

The Consortium features groups that cover different areas in the county including Bishop's Castle, Bridgnorth, Shrewsbury, North Shropshire (Market Drayton, Whitchurch and Wem), Ludlow and Clun, Oswestry, Corvedale, and Church Stretton, Broseley, Much Wenlock, Cressage and Shifnal,

Shropshire Council has awarded £100k to the organisation. The funding is from a £1.8 million Government grant from the Department for Transport (DfT) to the council after the submission of its updated Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) in July this year.

Shropshire Council's deputy Leader, and Cabinet member with responsibility for public transport, Ian Nellins said: "Community transport groups play a pivotal role in transport provision across Shropshire and often provide the only means of transport for many isolated and vulnerable residents who are unable to access a traditional bus service.

"Currently community groups such as these are seeing increasing demand put on their services and we hope that this funding will assist them."

The local authority says that "in acknowledgement of the huge importance of this provision", community transport representatives form part of the Shropshire Bus Enhanced Partnership.