Shropshire Council has launched a six-week consultation into proposed reductions to its public transport budget, which would see a reduction in the number and frequency of bus services subsidised by the Council.
The Council’s financial strategy for 2019/20 includes a budget reduction of £405,000 in public transport and £50,000 for Shrewsbury Park & Ride. To achieve these reductions a number of initiatives will have to be implemented and this consultation asks for views about these proposed changes.
A full summary, including details of routes affected, can be found here.
The consultation closes on 6th May – make your views known.
RESPONSES TO DATE
PRESS RELEASE:
The Green Party asks Shropshire Council to reverse its plan to cut bus funding and to recognise rural buses as an essential service for rural residents
Shropshire Council has revealed its plans to slash funding for rural buses. The fact that this is packaged as a “consultation” does not alter the fact that this is an attack on rural residents in the predominantly rural county of Shropshire.
The cuts are a savage attack on the young, the elderly, those who cannot afford a car and those who for health reasons cannot drive. It will make living in rural Shropshire and accessing health care much more difficult than is currently the case and it is already difficult. It undermines the choices that rural residents have around education, training and jobs and it damages the rural economy.
Commenting on this attack on public transport and rural residents the co-ordinator of the South Shropshire Green Party, Hilary Wendt, said:
“This is a slap in the face for all those who live in rural Shropshire and need to be able to access health care, education, training and jobs. It reveals an astonishing lack of understanding of how people live in rural Shropshire and a disregard for climate change and the urgent need to reduce emissions of climate damaging CO2 from cars. I have asked Councillor Nutting, the leader of the Council, to withdraw the consultation with immediate effect and explore ways of providing additional funds to support rural buses”
John Whitelegg, the lead person on transport in the South Shropshire Green Party and a transport expert added:
“These cuts make an already sub-standard rural bus service much worse and the time has come to halt the bias towards the car in Shropshire and support best practice 21st century public transport. This “consultation” reveals a staggering disregard for public transport which will hit rural residents very hard indeed and add to climate change and congestion problems”
Ends
Note 2 – Ludlow services affected
|
701 |
Ludlow Town Service |
Mon – Sat |
Minsterley Motors |
Reduce journey frequency from 30 minutes to 45 minutes. |
|
738, 740 |
Ludlow – Knighton |
Mon – Sat |
Arriva Midlands North |
One bus service with an already limited 2 hourly timetable, little scope for amendment. |
People for Ludlow 