Last week was Better Transport Week. Shropshire Council chose it to release details of changes to bus services across Shropshire. Ludlow loses its 722 park and ride service from September. The 701 north town and the 702 south services will continue on the same timetable and routes. That’s a problem because the town services were designed as a complement to the park and ride service. We have also learnt in the year since they were introduced that changes to timetables are needed.
The Ludlow park and ride service is to be axed from 1 September. This requires changes to the 702 and 701 routes. Shropshire Council has said that there will be no changes to the timetables. That means that routes will not operate in the most economic way or provide the best service for residents and visitors.
Town buses will be run by Diamond Bus, which currently operates the 292 Ludlow Kidderminster route, instead of Minsterley Motors. It is not clear where the new Ludlow town services will be based. If they are based in Kidderminster, that will cause problems in the winter when snow, flooding and ice are frequent on the route to Ludlow over the Clee.
There are important changes to route and timetables needed.
The 702 will serve the park and ride site from September. The 722 route is currently two miles each way. If the 702 continues the current timetable, journeys will either be 3.2 or 4.2 miles each way depending on route. That length is not suitable for a park and ride service in a slow moving town like Ludlow.
This can be resolved by turning the 702 around on Parys Road at Travis Arnold. It would then proceed to town via Sheet Road, Station Drive, the GP surgeries and the supermarkets. On every third run it would travel via Sheet Road, Steventon and Old Street.
The 701 currently runs into town via Livesley Road, Gravel Hill and the supermarkets. It rarely picks up or drops off passengers on Livesley Road. Its route should change to serve Sandpits Avenue and Housman Crescent in place of the 702.
It is important that the 702 gets in and out of town as quickly as possible. Shortening the route as I propose will help keep the park and ride alive. The 702 should also service Tollgate on the 2pm service from town.
The Eco Park park and ride site has not worked because Shropshire Council has ignored it for decades. The bus shelter needs a deep clean. The parking surface needs resurfacing. But all the council’s resources have gone into the three Shrewsbury park and ride sites. There is also a desperate need for toilets for those that have travelled a distance to Ludlow. It also doesn’t need the large bus that Shropshire Council has been running.
There are other problems to be solved. The current timetables rely on swapping drivers between routes to ensure drivers get their statutory breaks. It is not clear how Diamond Bus will resolve this. The last town bus from the town centre is at 17:15, far too early. We need a bus at 17:45 to allow workers to get home by public transport.
Rurally, Shropshire Council has withdrawn financial support for the 745 Pontesbury to Ludlow service. As a result, Minsterley Motors will stop running the service on 28 August.
The 435 Ludlow to Shrewsbury service will continue as a commercial service. It may not serve Bushmoor as frequently because the service frequently runs behind schedule due to roadworks on the A49 and in the centre of Shrewsbury.
In Shrewsbury, Shropshire Council is closing the Meole Brace park and ride. It says it has low usage. The suspicion is another reason is that is prime housing land which the council can sell to help pay off its government loans. The Oxon and Harlescott park and rides will continue and run until 10pm.