Shropshire MP urges council to adopt new bus services Bill

The MP for Shrewsbury is urging Shropshire Council to use new powers regarding bus services when they come in force.

The Bus Services (No. 2) Bill is currently going through Parliament which will give local transport authorities the power to pursue “franchised” services, delivering more constrol over routes, fares and quality of services.

It will also protect socially necessary routes, including a Sunday service or routes to education, work or medical settings.

In a letter to Shropshire Council leader, Heather Kidd, Julia Buckley MP said: “As you will be awaqre, on the previous Government’s watch, bus services in Shropshire collapsed, with 5,000 bus routes cut since 2010,” said Mrs Buckley.

“Bus miles have declined by 63.6% locally. The Government is clear that the previous model of unaccountable private bus operators left passengers in the lurch and held Britain back.

“Decent transport links are the difference between opportunity and isolation for millions of people, but for decades passengers have been an afterthought, including in Shrewsbury.

“In particular, you will be aware that we have not had a Sunday bus service in the county for a decade, and services finish far too early in the day when they do operate. I am therefore extremely pleased that the Government is introducing the Bus Services Bill, which provides a range of measures to support local leaders like you to deliver better buses and end the postcode lottery for bus services.”

Mrs Kidd said she will send a response to Mrs Buckley.

“We are very keen to improve public transport,”

“It’s something we are looking at and she will have a fuller response once we’ve had time to look at that.”

Mrs Kidd added that one of the tasks that Councillor Rob Wilson, the new portfolio holder for transport and economic growth, will have will be to look at the Shrewsbury Movement and Public Space Strategy.

“He has had a lot of background in it because he’s been doing it with Shrewsbury Town Council,” said Mrs Kidd.

“There are issues around some of the roads going in the centre. Some of the work has been tweaked at the moment pending future work because otherwise we’ll be doing some, then undoing it again, which is a waste of everyone’s time and money.

“We are committed to it all, but we have to work out the impact.”