Worcestershire villages sort transport after buses disappear

Passenger assistant Duncan Oliver is part of Worcester Wheels, which will serve Norton, Littleworth and Brockhill

Three villages have come together to sort out their own transport service, after usual bus routes disappeared at the start of lockdown.

The scheme, operated by dial-a-ride Worcester Wheels, will connect Norton, Littleworth and Brockhill residents with the city centre from 14 September.

Councils acted after normal First Bus services did not return, parish councillor John Waizeneker said.

The company said it axed the service because it was "poorly supported" by locals.

The new Norton Connector service, which Norton-Juxta-Kempsey Parish Council helped to set up, will connect people to Worcester city centre and the new Parkway station.

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Mr Waizeneker said: "[What] was made very clear to us by the previous or the current bus providers is that these rural routes do not pay.

"So I think community bus services are very much the state of the future and... if the community wants it, the community does something about it."

Driver Chris Tombs uses one of Worcester Wheels' eight minibuses

Worcestershire County Council found a spare minibus, "so they've leased to Worcester Wheels", Mr Waizeneker added.

He stated: "We did a survey of interest in the parish and we got a very, very high rate of interest, both in the fact that we were talking about providing a service, but also from people saying if we did provide a service, they would use it."

However Nigel Eggleton, the managing director at First Worcester, said only a "small number of people" wanted to travel to the city by bus.

"Our 50s service ran for over 12 months but was very poorly supported by local residents from the villages," he said, leading to the decision not to reinstate the service.

The not-for-profit Worcester Wheels group said it had been approached by parish councils, Wychavon District Council and the county council over the new scheme.

Asked about the impact lockdown had had, its business development manager, Dormston Cook, said a lot of clients had had to self-isolate because of their ages and there had been a reduced service.

The organisation has 10 vehicles, including eight minibuses.