PERSHORE’s MP Harriett Baldwin has encouraged town commuters to back the package of new and revised bus services which will connect villages to Evesham and Pershore once again.
After months of talks and public meetings, First Bus launched a number of services which will provide a ‘vital lifeline’ for villagers who otherwise not able to get out and about.
The package of improvements has seen a number of Saturday services restored and improvements to off peak services in villages such as Fladbury and Eckington.
Changes made to bus services include; Route X50 continues to operate hourly with a new timetable – Charlton is now served by routes 51 and 52. Route 51 replaces current 551 journeys at peak times, Monday-Friday.
A new route 52 will operate every two hours on Monday to Saturday daytimes, serving Worcester, Pershore , Evesham via Bath Road, St Peter’s, Norton, Littleworth, Stoulton, Drakes Broughton Village, Pinvin, Wyre Piddle, Lower Moor, Fladbury, Cropthorne, Charlton and Hampton.
A route 53 has also been launched which will operate every two hours, Monday to Saturday daytimes, serving Worcester, Pershore, Norton, Littleworth, Wadborough, Drakes Broughton, Pinvin, Burlingham and Defford.
Route 382, renamed Route 54, will replaces current 382 journeys at peak times, Monday-Friday.
These new routes now provide two buses per hour between Worcester and Pershore and restore the Monday to Friday off-peak and Saturday service to the villages of Norton, Littleworth, Wadborough, Defford, Eckington, Burlingham and Fladbury.
The villages of Pinvin, Wyre Piddle, Lower Moor and Fladbury also have their Monday to Saturday links to Evesham restored.
The new routes and timetables have been developed following discussions between First Bus, Worcestershire County Council, local parish councils and The Vale Transport Group.
Mrs Baldwin said: “I welcome the thinking shown by First Buses to work with local community groups to identify where there could be demand for an enhanced bus route.
“The company has agreed to trial this service to see if it can encourage more people to get on the bus rather than drive into Worcester and pay parking charges.
“As ever, the message is ‘use it or lose it’ and I welcome the hard work of the Vale Public Transport Group which continually lobbies for better local services and has been the driving force behind this service improvement.”
Nigel Eggleton, Managing Director for First Worcester, said: “We have been working closely with the Vale Public Transport Group and Worcestershire County Council to get to where we are today, announcing our 50s bus services that will link Worcester, Pershore and Evesham with local villages across the west side of Worcestershire.
“I am confident that with the ambition and commitment from members of the Vale in raising awareness and promoting the bus as a convenient, cost effective way to get around locally, jointly, we can make the 50s bus network of services a success.”
