Bus routes cut in Shropshire as funding stopped

Many Sunday and evening bus services in Shropshire are to be scrapped after the council withdrew funding.

Travel firm Arriva said it is stopping the services from 17 July.

A spokesman said the company was working with Shropshire Council to ensure bus users were aware of the changes taking place.

The council said it needed to make tough decisions to protect key bus services that allow people to access essential services.

'Same rate'

Keith Myatt, from Arriva Midlands, said: "We are working closely with Shropshire Council to ensure bus users are made aware of the changes taking place to local bus services across Shropshire following the decision to withdraw support for evening and Sunday buses from 17 July 2011 following a reduction in funding from central government."

In May, the council said subsidies would be cut for some routes under an initiative saving about £350,000.

Speaking at the time, Martin Taylor-Smith, council cabinet member for transport and information technology, said: "The reason we are looking at the subsidies is basically we do not have the cash to keep going at the same rate we have historically been going.

"On one of the routes every passenger that went on there was costing us as a council £26."