Fears that more Shropshire bus routes could be axed in new strategy

The Shropshire Bus Strategy for 2017 to 2021 has been opened to public consultation, with Simon Jones, Shropshire Council's cabinet member for highways and transport, saying the plan must recognise the reduced funding available.

Bus Users Shropshire has warned the plan could lead to cutbacks on an already "bare bones" rural bus network.

But Councillor Jones insists the council will make sure the money available is used to fund the most important routes.

Under the new plan all routes will be scored against a series of criteria, although the resulting scores for Shropshire's existing routes are missing from the document.

Peter Gilbert, chairman of Bus Users Shropshire, said it would be impossible for people to make a reasonable judgment on the policy without the information, and called on the council to make it public so people could see which routes would be affected.

He said: "What they are doing here is asking people to comment on and agree to an algorithm without telling us what the real life effects will be.

"Without actually knowing what the effect will be on the existing network how can anyone say if that is a good idea or not?

"They must have the information so they should release it."

The report acknowledges that Shropshire Council would prefer all routes to be run by commercial operators, saying: "The overriding aim is for all services in the county to operate on a purely commercial basis, however with a rural area it is clear there will continue to be revenue supported services.

"These services must be well timed and offer the journeys required by users to ensure they are providing the best available value for money.

Les Lumsden, a Ludlow-based former professor of transport and Bus Users Shropshire campaigner, said: a number of routes would lose out on the scoring mechanism.

He said: "It doesn't set out a positive vision as a strategy suggests, it sets out how Shropshire Council want to withdraw a range of services.

"I fear this is actually all about cutting back on rural services, it's very clear from the document."

Mr Lumsden said essential rural routes such as Oswestry to Bicton Heath, Oswestry to Welshampton, and Knighton to Ludlow would all be disadvantaged by the scoring criteria.

He said: "A key factor is the level of subsidy per passenger, that gives an overall score. We will question this prioritisation framework.

"It makes some services look like they're unhealthy and poorer performers but they are absolutely essential to the people who use them.

"We're not talking about empty buses here, these are services that are doing what they are supposed to - stopping social isolation for older people, getting people onto our high streets, taking younger people to school or college."

Councillor Jones, Shropshire Council's cabinet member for highways and transport, said: "The proposed strategy will allow the council to balance the cost of bus service provision with a real acknowledgement of a particular bus route's role and function within the area and the community that it serves."

"Shropshire Council is inviting user and stakeholder comments on the factors that are considered, and the future priority that these are given, as part of this consultation."

"Consultation into the draft bus strategy runs until 13 February 2017 and we encourage everyone to read the strategy and submit any comments they may have. All comments made will be carefully considered before a report goes to Cabinet for their consideration."

People can comment on the strategy on Shropshire Council's website up until February 13.