New rural bus service

Eagerly awaited timetables for new rural bus services, funded by Telford and Wrekin Council have been released along with an invitation to ride the service for free.

The new services will start on Monday, February 27 and passengers have been invited to ride for free on Monday and Tuesday. The full list of stops is now available, and people can feedback directly to the team who will be at Newport Interchange from 2pm on Tuesday, 28 February.

The routes have been devised by feedback from a bus survey held in 2021 and with direct feedback from communities in the area.

The outline route is now available, and the full list of stops will be available ahead of the service starting on Monday, February 27 along with a map.

These new services will also operate on a ‘hail-a-ride’ basis, meaning that the buses will stop where safe for passengers to board along the routes.

The council also took the decision to introduce capped fares on its services in December for all its services at a maximum of £2 per single journey for adults and £1 for U16s. This complements a government scheme offering the same fixed prices on bus journeys nationally. The government scheme will end on June 30.

Concessions still apply to all the council services including the recently introduced 100 Express and the 101 serving schools. Other costs for tickets include day tickets at adults £4, children (under19) £2, weekly tickets for seven days cost £15 adults/£7.50 child and season tickets (28 days) £50 adult/£27.50 and annual costs £500 adult and £275 for under 19s.

This is the third round of new services the council has funded. The 100 Express service provides fast and cost-effective travel for people travelling to Hortonwood, Halesfield and Stafford Park industrial estates, it also stops at the Telford Priory School while the 101 service caters for school.

Visit https://www.telford.gov.uk/busservices for times and routes of all the new services.

The council-funded services include the 102, 103 104 and 105 and will link passengers with schools in Newport, the northern villages of Telford and Wrekin such as Wrockwardine, Rodington, Roden, High Ercall, Ellerdine, Tibberton and provide access to the Princess Royal Hospital.