Going in the Right Direction. September 2021

At last a local authority that is travelling in the right direction. Herefordshire Council, a Unitary Authority, are to be highly lauded for their bold post-Covid transport initiative. In partnership with bus operators, the scheme is part of an overall strategy to get people back onto public transport and provide an attractive financial incentive to use the bus as an alternative to the car. This is in line with the Council’s positive aims and actions on climate change and decarbonising transport.

But the Council has gone a further important stage further. In addition to normal Saturday and Sunday services, it will be introducing Sunday bus services on a considerable number of primary routes in the county.

These routes are: 34 Ross-on-Wye - Monmouth

36 Hereford - Monmouth 40 Ross Town service 401 Leominster Town service

420 Bromyard - Hereford

426 Hereford - Bodenham

454 Hereford - Fownhope

461 Kington - Hereford 492 Leominster - Hereford 496 Leominster - Shobdon - Pembridge - Eardisland circular

600 Ledbury Town service 675 Ledbury - Colwall - Great Malvern

These routes have not had a Sunday service for many years. Over the last thirty years Herefordshire has seen a serious contraction of its bus network. The result of this has been drastically felt in rural areas leading to increased examples of rural isolation and deprivation particularly affecting young and old alike. It is to be hoped that this welcome initiative by Herefordshire Council heralds a long awaited turn in the fortunes of the rural bus. The Bus Service Improvement Plan currently being drawn up will now need to pay attention to the shortfalls in weekday services. Well done Herefordshire