Shropshire Council funds allow bus services to continue

Shropshire Council said it is taking over the services from 23 April until September

Eight under-threat bus services have been granted a temporary reprieve after being taken over by a local authority.

Shropshire Council has agreed to aid in funding services around Shrewsbury, Bridgnorth, Market Drayton and Ludlow from Saturday until early September.

The authority stepped in after operators announced changes to some routes and a reduction in services.

It comes weeks after the council missed out on £98m bid for government funding to transform the local bus services.

Shropshire Council said it would continue to lobby for funding to improve these routes.

The council stepped in after Arriva and other operators announced changes and reductions to some of the current routes they operate.

The firm said operators nationally were taking action to ensure their businesses were viable in the future amid higher fuel rates and driver shortages.

The services set to receive council funding include:

• 558 - Worthen

• 553 - Plox Green

• 20 - Radbrook Green

• 9 - Wolverhampton to Bridgnorth

• 21 - Reabrook

• 64 - Market Drayton to Shrewsbury

• 738/740 - Ludlow to Knighton

• 544/546 - Little Lyth and Pulverbatch

The authority said where it had been able to step in with funding, it had done so.

It said when support runs out in September, the routes will not necessarily cease but it will allow the council "a period of time to reflect and identify any alternative solutions to encourage new passengers".

"We know that some services will still be affected, and we anticipate there is likely to be a similar picture played out throughout the country, Cecilia Motley, Shropshire Council's cabinet member with responsibility for public transport, said.

"But we are determined to continue to lobby the government with our bus operators for the funding that we need, to make bus services a realistic option as a first choice of travel across Shropshire."