New bus services launched after number of Chesterfield and North Derbyshire bus routes axed or altered
New bus services are set to help minimise disruption in Chesterfield and surrounding areas including Staveley and Markham Vale.
Three new bus services have been launched to help reduce the impact of changes announced by Stagecoach, the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) has confirmed.
This comes after the bus provider announced alterations to 18 different services in Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire with concerns raised over residents losing vital transport links leaving them unable to commute to work or school.
Further concerns have been raised about communities being left isolated.
Mayor of the East Midlands Claire Ward has stepped in to help minimise the impact of the changes and now EMCCA has confirmed that three new bus services would be launched.
A new Service 27, run by SMT Bus and Coach, will connect Staveley, Poolsbrook and Markham Vale from Monday, October 26.
The route is designed to help passengers affected by the changes to the 90/90A service, which will be withdrawn beyond Staveley from Sunday – meaning Markham Vale, Clowne and Creswell will no longer be served.
Service 27 will connect with four services at Staveley, which will continue onto Chesterfield.
These include services 74, 77, 80 and 90.
At present, there is no replacement for the rest of the service 90 from Markham Vale through to Shuttlewood, Clowne and Creswell.
A new Service 5 will be launched to serve Chesterfield.
This comes after Stagecoach Yorkshire axed the former Service 5 operating between the Chesterfield town centre and Newbold.
EMCCA has instructed Stagecoach to divert Service 15, which runs between Chesterfield, Marsh Lane and Dronfield, to serve sections of the affected corridor.
In addition, SMT will be operating a reduced version of Service 5, which is set to run approximately every 40 mins between 9.35am and 2.15pm Monday to Friday.
SMT will also help cover parts of the rerouted 74 service, which will no longer serve Woodthorpe.
A new service 28 will run from Staveley to Woodthorpe via Mastin Moor.
This will connect with four services ( 74, 77,80 and 90) at Staveley, which will continue onto Chesterfield.
The Derbyshire on-demand bus currently serves this area and more information can be found here.