Shuttles enjoy successful season

Organisers of a summer bus service which serves the Shropshire Hills are marking the end of a successful summer season which has seen an increase in passengers using the service.

The Shropshire Hills tourist shuttle bus service, which ran for the final time this year on 28 September, saw the number of passenger journeys on the service increase by 20% compared with the previous summer

The shuttle service which is funded by Shropshire County Council in partnership with the National Trust, Natural England and the Tourism Action Plan, have been a popular attraction in south Shropshire for over ten years; however 2008 marked the first year that Shropshire County Council’s core transport budget helped fund the cost of running the service.

John Everall, Shropshire County Council’s Cabinet member for environment and sustainability, said: “We are delighted that the shuttles have had such a successful season and that the feedback from passengers has been so positive. Many passengers used the shuttles for the first time in 2008 as a result of the new national concessionary travel scheme being introduced in April.”

“By working with the shuttle partner organisations to provide this rural bus service we have been able to give tourists and local people the chance to explore the areas walks, attractions and country pubs without having to use their cars. This also helps to support the local tourism economy”

The shuttle bus service will operate again in the summer of 2009.

2 October 2008