The East Midlands Combined County Authority has again had to step in to save a bus route facing cutbacks
Three routes through Swadlincote have faced recent cutback threats(Image: Derby Telegraph)
A third bus route serving South Derbyshire has been saved from the axe following political interventions in the space of three months, after operator cuts.
Diamond Buses, owned by Rotala, had announced cuts to the Number 21 bus, which provides one of the main routes between Swadlincote and Burton (in Staffordshire), whilst serving Castle Gresley, Church Gresley, Linton and Stanton.
The cut, to take effect from November, was to see the Number 21 run only between Burton and Swadlincote, without serving the other communities, who have far fewer or no other services to use.
This, it said, was to “improve overall reliability of the service” and “low passenger numbers”.
However, following intervention from South Derbyshire MP Samantha Niblett and Labour’s East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward, a new operator has been hired to fill the gaps.
Buslink will operate a new Number 20 service between Burton, Swadlincote, Castle Gresley and Linton, while supplying funding for early morning and evening services through the 21E route.
Services will run approximately every 30 minutes from 6.15am until 7pm, Monday to Friday.
Over the summer, the combined authority and Ms Ward also had to step in to save the Airway 9 (formerly airline) from South Derbyshire to East Midlands Airport, and the Number 19 route between Swadlincote and Ashby, through Overseal and Netherseal – both secured until next April.
Ms Ward said: “We understand the concern these changes will cause for people who rely on these bus services.
“Although this is a commercial decision by Diamond Bus, we worked quickly to secure another operator and are delighted Buslink is stepping in to operate a new number 20 service between Burton, Swadlincote, Castle Gresley and Linton.
“We remain committed to supporting reliable public transport across the East Midlands, and the evening and 21E service, which is funded by EMCCA, will continue to be operated by Diamond Bus as now.”
Ms Niblett said: “I will continue to fight for better transport links across South Derbyshire. We have a Prime Minister who is passionate about buses and good services for people and that must include our semi-rural and rural communities too.”
In a letter to Ms Ward, Ms Niblett had detailed the previous short-term saviours for the Number 9 and Number 19 buses, also provided by Diamond, which had to be saved over the summer.
She also said work needed to take place to secure a bus service for the 2,200-home Draklow Power Station development, which remains without a route and in an isolated part of the county.
Transport arrangements for the site are tied to a Section 106 agreement with the developer involving the completion of the “spine road”, which is thought to be delayed until 2027.