Council steps in to keep the buses moving in Dawley
Telford & Wrekin Council has stepped in to ensure part of Dawley will still have a bus service after an unfortunate combination of circumstances would have meant the service would otherwise have stopped.
The council has decided to extend its current community bus service to Bank Road and Cemetery Road so that it runs five days a week between Dawley Bank and Dawley town centre.
The problem with the service to Bank Road and Cemetery Road arose after the commercial bus company Arriva changed the route of its 66 service.
The new route would not have gone up Bank Road and Cemetery Road and instead would have travelled up Station Road before turning left on to Milners Lane and then on to Telford town centre.
However, the start of this new service was scheduled for delay because of a seven week closure of Milner’s Lane as a result of work by Severn Trent Water. This meant Arriva buses for the time being would have continued using the old route.
Unfortunately, Seven Trent today decided to postpone the road closure – meaning Bank Road and Cemetery Road would have had no service from Monday.
Telford & Wrekin Council has come up with the short term solution of extending the community bus service to ensure Bank Road and Cemetery Road will still have a service. The bus will complete six round trips a day every day from Monday to Friday.
Councillor Hilda Rhodes, cabinet member for Transport and Community Protection, said: “What’s happened was unfortunate and unforeseen and we have therefore had to act quickly to ensure both Bank Road and Cemetery Road continue to have a service.
“It was only today that Severn Trent decided to delay the road closure which means the Arriva bus will use the new route as of Monday because Milner’s Lane will be open.
“We realise that the alternative we have put in place means that residents will have to change buses when they get to Dawley in order to get to Telford town centre and we are sorry for any inconvenience this causes. Alternatively the 88 service goes direct to Telford Town centre from Concorde and Milner’s Lane.
“As a result, we will be speaking with the parish council and Arriva to monitor and review the situation when Severn Trent starts its road works and we will look at developing a possible long term solution at that stage.”
People need to register to use the community bus service. Forms are available on the bus from the driver.
