An £18,500 rescue package has been drawn up to save a community bus service – with anxious residents set to discover its fate at a crunch meeting next week.
More than 50 residents in Coton Hill turned out to a meeting with Shropshire Council officials and councillors at The Woodman pub last Wednesday to discuss the future of the number seven service.
Now members of Coton Hill and Coton Cresent Residents’ Association have worked with Shirehall staff to put together a request to the Severn Loop local joint committee to preserve the service for another 12 months.
Residents claim 28.6 per cent of families in the Quarry and Coton Hill ward do not have cars, so many – especially the elderly – rely on public transport. And they have urged the local community to make good use of the bus or face losing the service altogether.
The bid, which will also include reducing the cost of travelling into the town centre from £1.50 to £1, will be discussed at a meeting of the local joint committee on Monday when councillors will make a decision on how much of the committee’s £37,000 budget for 2010/11 to allocate.
The service was taken over on a temporary six-month basis by Shropshire Council in November after public outcry over plans by Arriva to axe the service.
Sharon Thomas, a representative of the residents’ association, said: “People rely on public transport and we have quite a large number of elderly people in this area. Use of the bus has been intermittent and people need to use the service or they will lose it. We are hopeful if we can get the service extended and make it viable we could include the school run in the future.”
Simon Alton, press officer for Shropshire Council, said: “Following a recent meeting, the local community is putting together an application to the Severn Loop local joint committee for funding for a temporary community bus service. The details of that will be discussed at the meeting.”
Monday’s meeting starts at 7pm at the Guildhall in Frankwell.
By Peter Kitchen