A new direct service has been created from the town’s Eco Park Park and Ride to give those using the service easier access to Ludlow town centre.

The problem was that it also removed some vital services from other parts of the city.

Councilor Viv Parry, Councilor of Ludlow South said he received complaints during his surgeries and via email.

But it now appears that the problems are resolved. Councilor Parry said some aspects of the service have now returned to business as usual.

“This will improve the service and help disabled people, the elderly and everyone who has used this bus for years.

“The new bus, the 703, runs at dinner time from noon to 2 p.m. If you miss the 12 p.m. bus, you now have to wait until 2:15 p.m. to catch the next one, but this will be changed so that it comes to more locations and be hourly.

“It will help people who want to go into town to shop and businesses who are losing trade.”

“If they had sorted everything out and talked to the public before doing all this, I wouldn’t have had all these people complaining bitterly about the service.

“Why is everything done backwards today? Why don’t they want to discuss the best for people, it would make life so easy.”

Tracey Huffer, Shropshire councilor for Ludlow East, said: “All of us Ludlow councilors have been inundated with complaints. The changes have created huge problems for both GP practices, with patients missing their appointments and having to reschedule them.

“The introduction of the new services could and should have been better managed.”

She added: “It’s fair to say the new timetables and routes have not been well received.

“The biggest problem was that few people knew the details of the changes in advance. Problems at Shropshire Council mean new timetables were not in place at bus stops when the new services were introduced. »

Andy Boddington, Shropshire councilor for Ludlow North, added: “It is unfortunate that there was very little consultation with councilors before the new timetables were introduced. We could have alleviated some problems. Lessons were also learned during the first two weeks of operation of the services.

“The council has introduced a new dedicated park and ride service using a liveried bus. This is a boost to public transport in Ludlow and will encourage people to use the park and ride rather than driving around the town center looking for a parking space.

“It’s low season for visitors and this bus often runs empty. The bus is planned to make additional stops on Sheet Road, providing more frequent service to passengers living in that area. This will be introduced as soon as possible.

“701 North Ludlow service has been reduced from every 30 minutes to every hour. This change was essential because previously the route had to be traveled at high speed to meet timetables and more than a third of buses were late.

“The 701 now serves Rocks Green. In the future we hope it can be extended to Knights Way on the new Henley Grange development, but this will have to wait until the site is further developed and there is enough space for a bus can turn in accordance with regulations.

“The same goes for service 702, which should eventually serve the new Ludlow Green development on Foldgate Lane.

“To make the new timetable work, stick to a tight budget and recognize the difficulty of recruiting drivers, there are only two lunchtime buses. It is planned to adapt their itineraries to take into account feedback from the first weeks of service.

“The new services will provide Ludlow with more reliable services. At a time when bus services are being cut across the country, Ludlow is getting a new dedicated park and ride service, which will boost our tourism economy. The itineraries aren’t quite ready yet, but we have until Easter, when the visitor season resumes, to sort them out.

A Shropshire Council spokesperson said some “minor changes” to the service have been identified and details will be communicated in due course.

“Shropshire Council officers met with local Ludlow councilors and operator Minsterley Motors to review Ludlow town bus services at a planned meeting after the launch,” the council spokesperson said .

“Through their discussions, minor changes to the service were identified to provide improvements for passengers. Details and deadlines will be communicated in due course.