NEWS of a reprieve for the under threat Evesham to Tewkesbury 540 bus service has been welcomed by Vale transport campaigners.
Current operators Astons Coaches had announced early in May they were withdrawing from the Evesham to Tewkesbury route serving several Bredon Hill villages towards the end of June due to falling passenger numbers and revenue.
Serious concerns about the future of the service were expressed by Vale Bus and Rail (formerly the Vale Public Transport Group) and the group has now welcomed Worcestershire County
Council’s decision to retain the route and to find another operator to run the service.
“The service is a lifeline for users for work, shopping, medical and leisure journeys particularly for those in the many Bredon Hill villages served such as Ashton-under-Hill, Hinton-on-The Green,
Sedgeberrow, Overbury, Kemerton and Bredon and as such it is also important that the present hourly service between 0 700 and 1900 is retained, said VBR chair Julian Palfrey.
VBR has also been urging Worcestershire County Council in the new timetable to explore the potential for new bus/rail links by extending the service to and from Evesham Railway Station so that passengers can connect into and out of the hourly trains to Oxford/London and Worcester/Malvern and boost usage of both modes of transport.
