Residents make final plea to save 'lifeline' bus

For people in a small town in a rural corner of Shropshire, the 745 bus service is not just a bus service - it is a lifeline and losing it would be "devastating".

James McHugh lives in Clun, which has a population of about 700 people and, as far as he is concerned, losing the service will affect everyone.

"Elderly people who don't have their own transport... won't be able to go shopping in Ludlow, they won't be able to go to the opticians, to the dentist," he said.

"They'll only be able to access them by taxi, which of course will cost a fortune."

The 745 currently runs on Mondays and Fridays but, according to Shropshire Council, the number of passengers it carries is, on average, six each day.

Rising operating costs have pushed the subsidy required to maintain the route to more than £60 for each passenger's journey, a spokesperson added.

The service, linking Pontesbury, Bishop's Castle, Clun, Craven Arms and Ludlow, is now due to end in September, after operator Minsterley Motors decided to withdraw it as it faced a "significant financial loss".

A petition launched to save the route has attracted support from across the Clun Valley, with many residents saying the route is as much about preventing social isolation as providing access to services.

The service had been financially supported by the council since the Covid-19 pandemic, using central government funding.

But in May, the authority announced the route would be withdrawn following what it described as a commercial decision by operator Minsterley Motors.

"Socially important rural routes often cannot be financially viable without external support, even though they remain vital for the communities they serve," a spokesperson for the bus firm added.

Options to continue the 745, including the council fully contracting the route, were explored but the cost was not affordable, a spokesperson for the authority added.

Cordelia Niblett, from Aston on Clun, described the 745 as a "massive lifeline" and the impact would not be limited to only older people.

"The gentleman who lives over the road uses the bus every Friday and takes his daughter into Ludlow," she said. "He won't be able to do that anymore."

The route also helped support local tourism and businesses by bringing visitors into the Clun Valley, she added.

"We live in the most beautiful valley and we want to share it with people," she said. "We've got a fantastic community shop and a fantastic pub in the village. It brings people to the area. It's a two-way street."

"We're all being encouraged to get out of our cars and on to public transport. This is not helping."

In July, new Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the bus fare cap in England would revert to £2 from January which, his government said, should particularly help passengers in rural areas.

However at the same time, the Campaign for Better Transport said rural areas were still suffering from fewer bus routes and service.

For the 745 service, Jeff Else, another Aston-on-Clun resident, said that, although he was able to drive, many of his neighbours relied heavily on the service.

"It means an awful lot," he said. "I know a lot of people that use it and it really is quite vital.

"We've got the little community shop here which supplies basics, but people have to get out and go to Ludlow or Shrewsbury. There is no alternative for some people."

Councillor Nick Hignett, the Conservative member for Rea Valley, said bus services played an important role in connecting rural communities.

He added that he felt housing growth in rural areas should be matched by investment in public transport, warning that otherwise residents would become increasingly dependent on cars.

"Everything comes down to money," he said. "If central government want Shropshire Council to be able to run a successful and reliable bus service, they need to supply more money."

Earlier this year, the Liberal Democrats-led council stepped in to safeguard the Shrewsbury to Market Drayton section of the number 64 bus route, after Arriva said it could no longer continue operating the service without ongoing government funding.

The authority retendered the route and awarded a new contract to D&G Buses, warning the service would otherwise have been withdrawn.

However, the council spokesperson said the circumstances surrounding the 745 were different, due to the cost of subsidising passenger journeys.

Finding a long-term solution to the loss of the service was "a priority" and "we hope to provide an update to the community shortly", they added.

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