VALE transport campaigners are fearful that a popular Pershore bus route could be axed in favour of on-demand services.
The Pershore PlumLine has been providing a vital around-town service for forty years in 2026, linking the town centre with Pinvin via the railway station and housing estates from Monday to Saturday.
The route and timetable, however, haven’t expanded or developed in more than a decade and users of the service are worried about its future.
Campaigners said that the service is a survivor but has been ‘at risk’ in the past when Worcestershire County Council has looked at cutting both costs and services.
“The service has now been unchanged for 12 years,” said Julian Palfrey, the chair of the Vale Bus and Rail group.
“This means that it does not cater adequately for major housing growth, changing travel patterns or revised school times.
“Furthermore, it is no longer designed to link with any of the services from Pershore railway station.
“We are extremely concerned that at certain times of the day, the bus is running with few passengers and could be hit by cutbacks, when with a little bit of thought and planning and better use of existing driver and bus resources, it could much better match public demand.
“We have twice put forward low-cost timetable improvements based on the existing service, but these have sadly been completely ignored,” he said.
Mr Palfrey expressed the view that Worcestershire County Council, which recently received more than £9.3million in central government funding for local bus services, had done little to improve rural services, instead expanding on-demand services throughout the Wychavon area.
He said there was a place for on-demand services, but they should not be seen as a replacement for timetabled services, the withdrawal of which has seen communities stranded.
“Those fortunate among us are more dependent on the private car, adding to increased congestion in our towns and the increasing problems of social isolation for old and young alike,” he added.
Councillor Karl Perks, cabinet member for highways and transport at Worcestershire County Council, responded to the concerns and stated that the council’s position on public transport, including the expansion of Demand Responsive Transport (DRT), has been consistent and is not under review.
He added that it reflected the realities of operating in a predominantly rural county, where traditional fixed-route services could not always meet demand patterns or offer a financially sustainable service.
“Suggestions for changes to existing timetabled routes, including the Pershore Plumline, will be considered as part of the ongoing review of Worcestershire’s wider network.
“Any adjustments must be assessed within the context of resource availability, operational realities, and wider network integration with DRT.
“We remain open to constructive dialogue and continue to review service performance and community feedback to ensure the network evolves in line with local needs and demand,” he said.
He added that the county was grateful for feedback and its communications team was developing improved methods of presenting and distributing transport information about fixed-route and DRT services.
