A solution has been found to maintain bus services to mid Suffolk villages after residents were left angered by proposed cuts. From next month, residents in Badwell Ash and Walsham le Willows were set to be without a daily service to Bury St Edmunds. It formed part of changes made by the bus company in charge of the service, Simonds.
Both the MP Adrian Ramsay and councillor wrote to Suffolk County Council (Image: Adrian Ramsay) However, following backlash to the plans, a resolution has been found. Councillor Chris Chambers, Suffolk County Council’s cabinet member for transport strategy, planning and waste, said: “Commercially run bus services can only run when there are people using these services. Other than home to school travel for entitled students, there is no legal requirement for councils to provide bus services, and we have no powers to prevent operators making such decisions.
“However, we recognise that some people in rural communities rely on these services so they can get from A to B and we encourage sustainable travel where possible, so we have listened to the feedback and are working with Simonds, the operator to find alternatives. “I have instructed officers to use the last of our Bus Recovery funding from the Department for Transport to enhance the service proposed by Simonds to replace the 337/338 routes. "The new 73 service will operate the attached timetable until December 27, this will mean most current journeys will continue whilst we look at ways .