Councillors pledge to keep fighting for Brixham's bus services
"This is only a temporary reprieve and we need to continue working with Torbay to find long-term sustainable answers"
BRIXHAM councillors have pledged to carry on their campaign to preserve bus services in the town beyond the end of the latest extension.
Torbay Council announced last week that it was prepared to support the Country Bus 15 and 16 services until the end of March 2022.
The buses link the town centre with Higher Brixham, Summercombe and other areas with a high proportion of elderly people.
Councillors were told by campaigners the buses provided a vital lifeline to help people stay in touch with friends and family, as well as getting to and from town centre shops.
Cllr David Giles of Brixham Town Council said Torbay’s councillors and officers deserved credit for securing the immediate future of the services in challenging financial circumstances, made worse by Covid-19.
He said: “Residents in Brixham should be pleased our local members at Torbay have worked tirelessly to secure this result, supported by Brixham Town Council and other partners.
“But we also have to recognise that, as before, this is only a temporary reprieve and we need to continue working with Torbay to find long-term sustainable answers to our local transport needs that ensure that our most vulnerable residents can stay connected to their town centre and beyond.”
Town Clerk Tracy Hallett said a working party that includes Brixham town councillors and other partners had been working for many months towards finding an alternative solution. It would continue to work while the threat of cuts remained, she said, however far in the future they may be.
She added: “Members and staff have been conducting research, meeting Torbay Council’s consultants and officers to discuss our local needs, lobbying Anthony Mangnall MP, who has shared our concerns with the transport minister, and examining some local schemes so that when and if the losses materialise we will be in a position to act quickly.
“The council welcomes Torbay’s commitment to developing a strategy to support local routes such as ours and we will continue to assist officers and councillors in their efforts.”
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