Community bus to run along axed council route

A community transport scheme is set to take over a bus route that Shropshire Council withdrew from.

Shrewsbury Dial-a-Ride will operate along the previous 745 route in the south-west of the county from 2 September.

Residents had started a petition when the authority announced earlier in August that the service would stop, due to what it described as a commercial decision by operator Minsterley Motors.

Shropshire Council and Shrewsbury Community Transport Initiative have since decided to launch the new scheme to help rural communities stay connected to the services they rely on.

Residents living along the route that links Pontesbury, Bishop's Castle, Clun, Craven Arms and Ludlow had feared they would be isolated, especially in Clun, where the 745 was the town's only bus service.

The Three Castles Shuttle service will initially run as a two-year pilot and operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Unlike a traditional bus service, passengers will be able to book their journeys in advance, either by email, online or over the phone.

It will cost £3 per single journey for non-concessionary passengers or £6 for a return.

Passengers who book in advance will be given priority if demand for the service exceeds the number of seats available on the day of travel.

All bookings need to be made 24 hours before travel and payments must be made electronically.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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