Nottinghamshire bus routes saved as council picks up bill

The council said it hoped more people would start using bus services

Eleven bus services deemed no longer profitable by operators have been saved by the council.

Nottinghamshire County Council will now pay for the routes that faced being withdrawn or reduced.

The authority said it was currently agreeing financial support for the services with the commercial operators.

It said passengers would not initially see any difference in route or timetables but they could be redesigned and reviewed over the next 12 months.

The bus routes being protected are:

• Stagecoach 6 and 7 - Worksop, Gateford, Shireoaks, Rhodesia, Worksop

• Marshalls 90 - Newark, Radcliffe, Nottingham

• Trentbarton 90 - Sutton, Kirkby, Selston, Ripley

• Stagecoach 14/15 - Mansfield, Ollerton, Walesby

• Nottingham City Transport 46, 47 - Woodborough, Lambley, Mapperley, Nottingham

• Stagecoach 1 (Mansfield Miller) - Mansfield Woodhouse, Mansfield (support for reduced evening service).

• Trentbarton Rushcliffe Villager - Bingham, Newton, East Bridgford, Shelford, Gunthorpe, Radcliffe

• Marshalls 37 - Retford, East Markham, Tuxford, Sutton on Trent, Muskham, Newark

Neil Clarke, cabinet member for transport and environment, said: "We hope residents in these areas will travel on these services more regularly in the future.

"The last few years have taken their toll on bus services nationally, including here in Nottinghamshire.

"Passenger numbers in rural areas are at around 60% of the levels we saw before the Covid-19 pandemic and at around 80% in more urban areas.

"We are therefore committed to working with local operators to reinvigorate bus services like these, which play a vital role in keeping communities connected."