Chesterfield buses: East Midlands Mayor is working to ‘reduce impact’ of significant changes to bus services in Chesterfield and North Derbyshire
The East Midlands Mayor has responded after Stagecoach announced a number of cuts and route changes to North Derbyshire bus services.
Claire Ward has issued an update on newly announced Chesterfield and North Derbyshire bus route changes.
The changes, announced by Stagecoach earlier this week, are set to be put in place on Sunday, October 25, with the bus operator claiming the move was necessary due to ‘low ridership’ and ‘rising costs’.
But residents have been left upset by the extent of the cuts – with Service 5 and 38 scrapped, Service 74/74A no longer serving Woodthorpe and Service 90/90A withdrawn beyond Staveley, meaning it will no longer Markham Vale, Clowne and Creswell.
Cllr Paul Mann, member for Hollingwood Ward at Staveley Town Council, slammed the changes saying they would ‘isolate communities, make people housebound and put jobs at risk’.
He has called for action from the East Midlands Mayor and Chesterfield MP to help provide replacements for affected communities.
Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins said he received a number of concerns from his constituents and pledged to meet with the bus operator to discuss their decision further.
In a statement issued to the Derbyshire Times this morning, Mayor Claire Ward said: "I am aware of the changes to a number of Stagecoach Yorkshire bus services and understand how concerning this is for local people who rely on them.
" This is a commercial decision made by Stagecoach, but we are working to try to find solutions to reduce the impact on passengers.
"A handful of short-term, but immediate solutions have already been agreed, and we will shortly have a dedicated webpage available up to keep residents informed.
“While these measures will help preserve important connections, I recognise they do not fully replace the existing services withdrawn by Stagecoach Yorkshire.
"Our transport team are continuing to assess the wider impact of the proposals, including options for Staveley.
“They are working closely with operators to explore further solutions.
"We remain committed to supporting reliable public transport across the East Midlands and will provide further information on our webpage as it becomes available.”
The changes announced by Stagecoach affect 18 bus routes across Chesterfield and surrounding villages.
You can find the full list of announced bus service changes here.