Rural Bus Services

HC Deb 20 July 2000 vol 354 c256W

Mr. Paul Marsden

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on measures to increase rural bus services in Shrewsbury and Atcham. [131158]

Mr. Hill

Shropshire County Council was allocated £630,354 of Rural Bus Subsidy Grant in 1998–99, with the same amount allocated to the Council for 1999–2000 and 2000–01.

In 1999–2000 the Council used its allocation to fund 58 services, of which 28 served Shrewsbury. Of the services serving Shrewsbury, 10 were entirely new and 18 were improvements to existing services. The County Council have also introduced a bike bus between Ellesmere and Shrewsbury, funded through the 1999 Rural Bus Challenge Competition, and on 11 July we invited bids for the 2000 Rural Bus Challenge Competition.