Ludlow residents demand bus timetable fix as councillors 'inundated' with complaints

A new direct service was created from the town's park and ride side at the Eco Park to make it easier for those using that service to get straight into Ludlow town centre.

The trouble with that was it took out some vital services from the other parts of town, too.

Councillor Viv Parry, councillor for Ludlow South said she received complaints at her surgeries and by email.

But now it seems the issues are being resolved. Councillor Parry said some aspects have now returned to the service as it was before.

"This will make it a better service and help the disabled, elderly and every one else who has used this bus for years .

"The new bus the 703 which is at dinner time 12 till 2pm. If you miss the 12pm you now have to wait until 2:15pm to catch the next one, but that will be altered so it will pick up at more places and will be hourly.

"This will help the people who want to go into town to shop and the businesses who are losing trade."

"If they had sorted everything out and spoken to the public before they did all this I would have not had all the people who have complained bitterly about the service.

"Why is everything done back to front today? why don’t they want to discuss the best for people it would make life so simple."

Tracey Huffer, Shropshire Councillor for Ludlow East, said: “All of us Ludlow councillors were inundated with complaints. The changes created huge problems for both GP surgeries, with patients missing appointments and having to reschedule.

“The introduction of the new services could and should have been handled better.”

She added that “It is fair to say that the new timetables and routes have not got down well.

“The biggest problem was that few people knew the details of the changes beforehand. Problems at Shropshire Council mean that new timetables were not in place on bus stops when the new services were introduced."

Andy Boddington, Shropshire Councillor for Ludlow North, added: “It is unfortunate that there was very little consultation with councillors before the new timetables have been introduced. We could have eased some of the problems. There have also been lessons learnt in the first two weeks of running the services.

“The council has introduced a new dedicated park and ride service using a liveried bus. This is a boost to public transport in Ludlow and will encourage to use the park and ride rather than driving around the town centre looking for a parking space.

“This is low season for visitors and this bus often runs empty. It is intended that the bus will call at additional stops on Sheet Road giving a more frequent service for passengers living in that area. This will be introduced as soon as possible.

“The 701 North Ludlow service has been reduced from every 30 minutes to every hour. This change was essential as previously the route has to be driven at speed to keep to the timetable and more than one-third of buses ran late.

“The 701 now serves Rocks Green. In the future, we hope it can be extended to Knights Way on the new Henley Grange development but this will need to wait until the site is further developed and there is adequate space for a bus to turn within regulations.

“The same is true for the 702 service, which should eventually serve the new Ludlow Green development on Foldgate Lane.

“To make the new timetables work, to keep within a tight budget and to recognise the difficulty in recruiting drivers, there are only two lunchtime buses. The plan is to adjust the routes of these to take on board feedback from the first few weeks of service.

“The new services will give Ludlow more reliable services. At a time when bus services are being axed across the country, Ludlow is getting a new dedicated park and ride service and that will be a boost for our visitor economy. The routes are not quite right yet but we have until Easter when the visitor season picks up to get them sorted out.”

A spokesperson for Shropshire Council say that some 'minor changes' to the service have been identified and the details will be communicated in due course.

“Shropshire Council officers met with local Ludlow councillors and the operator Minsterley Motors to review the Ludlow town bus services in a planned post-launch meeting," said the council spokesperson.

“Through their discussions some minor changes to the service have been identified to provide improvements for passengers. Details and timescales will be communicated in due course.”