Fears over loss of Shropshire town’s only bus service

There are fears that the withdrawal of a town’s only bus service could isolate residents – with one person saying she will have to move.

From September, the 745 that operates between Pontesbury, Bishop’s Castle, Clun, Craven Arms and Ludlow is to be binned.

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The service currently operates on Mondays and Fridays and has been supported by Shropshire Council since the Covid-19 pandemic using central government revenue funding.

However, last month, the council said the service would be withdrawn due to rising operating costs.

“We recognise that this service has provided an important link for some of our rural communities, and we do not take this decision lightly,” said Councillor Rob Wilson, cabinet member for transport and regeneration.

“However, the cost of maintaining the service has increased significantly while passenger numbers remain very low, meaning it is no longer sustainable to continue funding it in its current form at over £60 per passenger per journey.

“Our focus now is on working with community transport providers to explore more flexible and cost effective alternatives that can better meet the needs of local residents.

“At the same time, we are having to deal with increasing costs alongside reduced funding, which means the council must work harder to deliver the best possible transport network with the resources available.”

Minsterley Motors – who operate the service – disputed the figures, saying that there are around 17 average passengers per day – not six as was reported by the council. The bus firm also said the operating cost was about £25 per day, not £60.

Shropshire Council say the £60 figure reflects the overall cost of supporting supporting the service, rather than an operator’s tendered cost, and is based on total subsidy and assumed individual return journeys per day.

“Regardless of the figures used, this would still place the service amongst the highest subsidised routes per passenger that the council would provide if contracted directly and would not represent an appropriate use of limited public funding,” said a council spokesperson.

“This type of limited, infrequent service is not one the council would typically look to procure, and it would not be sustainable for the authority to assume full responsibility once it becomes commercially unviable.

“The focus is therefore on identifying more flexible and cost‑effective alternatives, including through the community transport sector.”

For the people of Clun though, they face the harsh reality of not being able to get anywhere.

“I use it every Monday and Friday to go to Ludlow to just get out and go shopping,” said Lou Hambley.

“Without that, I don’t know what I’m going to do, I will have to move. I can’t stay in a place where I can’t get out.”

A “save our bus” sign adorns the bus shelter off the high street, with many people in the town signing a petition to keep the service.

“We’ve got a Spar but people can’t do their full supermarket shop,” said Deborah Fox.

“We haven’t got a chemist or a bank. People use it [the bus] for visiting as well.

“The semi-regulars who don’t use it every Monday and Friday know if they are going to use it, it will turn up, so that’s quite a reassurance.

“It’s a rural bus, people rely on it. It will have a huge impact if it’s not here and will be isolated.

“It’s used for social interaction and people look out for each other.

“In three weeks, we did a survey on the bus and asked questions. In that three weeks, 17 people used it from Bishop’s Castle and we are campaigning up and down the valley with all the town councils, and there are petitions everywhere.

“125 people from Clun have signed it,  but we’ve got lots of other names from Bishop’s Castle.”

Chrissie Verdyn has questioned why the bus couldn’t start from Bishop’s Castle instead of Pontesbury, which she thinks could save Shropshire Council money.

“We’ve talked to our local councillor and quite a lot of people have written to our MP and council but not had anything back,” she said.

Robert Humphreys added: “I had a pretty dismissive response from the leader of the council.

“We’re about to have a new Prime Minister who believes in buses. For a Liberal Democrat-led council to make a decision like this without any consultation, seems to me to be utterly undemocratic.

“This is outrageous. They say they were providing a Covid-led subsidy that came from government. But this is the only bus here, and there are plenty of other parts of Shropshire where they pay the same council tax and have actually improved bus services. How can that be fair?

“Minsterley Motors say that actually the numbers haven’t improved to pre-Covid levels. But why are they arguing about 10 or 12 or 15? The point is it’s a bus, it’s the only bus and the people who live in this place have no alternative if they don’t drive.”