Shropshire Star

Here are my prizes for Shropshire's best public transport services - and best-kept travel secrets

There's got to be something wrong when the roads are full but the buses are empty.

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We're all getting a tad too stressed and worked up about getting from A to B as fast as possible, and a lot of us are losing driving discipline.

How many times have you been tailgated – or tailgated someone – because they are not going fast enough, to save 30 seconds?

Or perhaps you've beeped someone, leapt over a traffic light as it is changing to red, or not stopped as a pedestrian steps on to a crossing.

As drivers we need a reset from time to time, a chance to slow down and to discover a different type of freedom. The freedom to look out of the window, to take our time and to reconnect with others.

We all know the limitations of public transport in Shropshire. Many areas are bus and train deserts, even taxis are hard to find.

Buses stop running so early that you cannot use them for a night out - and don't talk to me about Sundays.

And as for the trains, I've lost count of the number of times services have been stopped because of the lack of drivers, the lack of trains, bad weather and points failures.

I feel sorry for those who have to travel by public transport to get to work.

But given all those gripes, I find that public transport is a great way to enjoy an area without jams and stresses of driving.

Here's why, in the form of the Tooley Public Transport Awards 2024.

Shropshire's loveliest bus route