ARRIVA plans to close its bus depot in Oswestry, and will withdraw from running five bus services from the town, the company has announced.
If confirmed the move would see the shutting of the depot in Salop Road, with the main bus routes operated from the Oswestry site transferring across to Arriva’s Shrewsbury and Wrexham depots.
However, from May Arriva would stop running five routes out of the town, including to Welshampton, Cefn Y Blodwel, Four Crosses, Porth-Y-Waen and Windsor Road. The company says it is in talks with Shropshire Council over a new operator taking on these routes. It could also affect school services.
The company said the decision was down to a combination of changing travel habits, inflation, and the Government turning down a bid for Levelling Up cash to redesign the county's bus services.
OTHER NEWS:
- Firefighters called out to fire at pub in village near Oswestry
- New footbridge proposed to cross river at Chirk beauty spot
- In pictures: Lantern parade marks end of Love Oswestry festival
A spokesman said: “While there would be very limited impact on customer journeys, closing depots is not a decision we take lightly and this only follows sustained and extensive interventions to attempt to turn around the losses in Shropshire.
"Our priority throughout this process is that everything runs as smoothly as possible, for both our customers and our high valued team.
"If the proposal goes ahead, Arriva will work with Shropshire Council and any new operators as school routes transition to new suppliers, with any changes to school services not expected until May."
Affected employees have now been notified that a consultation is underway on closing the site.
Arriva said the Oswestry depot is loss making, and has been hit hard by changing travel behaviours following the pandemic with Arriva’s bus users in Shropshire taking just 54 per cent of journeys travelled prior to the pandemic.
That is well below national trends, the company said, and comes alongside a challenging combination of significant industry-wide cost inflation and funding support from the local authority falling significantly below the levels provided by other councils to reimburse “concessionary travel” meaning bus services have been operating at a sustained operating loss.
A Bus Service Improvement Plan was developed with Shropshire Council to bid for government support to help increase bus ridership, but failed to secure funding.
If the proposal goes ahead, Arriva will cease some local contracted bus services and is in talks with the local authority over a new operator would taking on these contracted services from May.
Arriva runs the following contracted bus services on behalf of Shropshire Council which, if the proposal is confirmed, are expected to transfer to a new operator:
• 449 Oswestry – Welshampton
• 54 Oswestry - Cefn Y Blodwel
• 71 Oswestry - Four Crosses
• 79a Oswestry – Porth-Y-Waen
• 405 Oswestry – Windsor Road
Want to stay up to date with all the latest stories from Oswestry and the surrounding area? Click here to sign up for our morning and daily email newsletters and click on the + for the ‘Morning Briefing’ and the 'Daily Catch-Up'.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here