'It’s the biggest issue for people in my constituency': Shropshire MP calls for more bus funding

Speaking in a debate last Wednesday on Government support for rural communities, North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan expressed her dissatisfaction with Shropshire Council's allocation of funding towards delivering proposals for bus service improvements.

It was announced last November that the county council would receive just shy of £4 million in total, adding to a £1.8 million grant from the Department for Transport that was awarded to the local authority last July to support the Shropshire Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).

The council received £1.4 million in capital funding and £2.5 million for revenue for the 2025/26 financial year.

The Liberal Democrat MP has repeatedly questioned the sum and called for greater support for the council.

She previously stated that public transport is a big concern for residents in her constituency, such as Market Drayton.

Mrs Morgan claims that between 2015 and 2023, the number of miles you can travel by bus in Shropshire fell by the largest amount in England - with a 63 per cent decrease over the period.

She also claimed that the number of people using a bus in Shropshire has decreased by more than 40 per cent in the same eight-year period.

The MP says this is affecting residents, particularly young people.

Speaking in Westminster Hall last week, Mrs Morgan said: "Shropshire has lost 63 per cent of its bus miles since 2015, compared to a national average of 19 per cent.

"It’s the biggest issue for people who live in my constituency and particularly for young people who can’t access part-time work or their friends, and often their further education.

"Yet the revenue allocation for Shropshire under the bus service improvement plan was only £2.5million.

"It’s a massive issue for us and I would really urge the minister to see if we can take another look at that."

Shropshire Council recently announced its plans for a new service to link northeast Shropshire with the Princess Royal Hospital.

It's hoped that a new service between Whitchurch, Market Drayton, the Princess Royal Hospital and Wellington Bus Station could begin operating this summer.

Broseley and Shrewsbury will also be connected by bus for the first time in 50 years from the end of this month.

The 437 bus service from Much Wenlock to Shrewsbury is being extended from March 31 to include collection and drop-offs in Broseley.

The move is aiming to provide students, workers and shoppers with "much-needed" access to and from the county town.

Shropshire Council's portfolio holder for transport, Ian Nellins added: "I think everybody and Shropshire Council wants to get more money for bus improvement plans.

"What we have had hasn't been much but every bit of it has been welcomed.

"We were asking initially for £90million then more recently £71million and we were encouraged to ask for that to be optimistic, and that would have gone towards electric busses and all sorts of improvements.

"Unfortunately the money tends to go to urban environments and rural areas seem to dip. But, we need our MPs to be shouting for us."