Future of Staffordshire bus service secured

Staffordshire County Council has brokered a five-year contract for the #3 Cannock to Brownhills via Norton Canes route to stay on the road.

The service, which was run by Chaserider, was under-subscribed.

Although the local authority does not subsidise bus services it stepped in at short notice to save the route by using funds from house-builders to keep the servicing running.

Funds from developers are acquired by local authorities to provide money for green spaces and support local bus services in areas where houses are being built.

Chaserider successfully tendered to run the service and councillors hope that local people will make use of it more widely to ensure that it stays on the road when the money from local house-building developments and the five year contract runs out.

Councillor David Williams, the council's cabinet member for highways and transport, said: "We stepped in as a matter of urgency to keep this route alive for residents when the previous operator announced before Christmas that they were pulling out.

"I am delighted that we have been able to use Section 106 money from the Norton Meadows housing development in Norton Canes in this way to help the community and to link in with the businesses on the Kingswood Lakeside for the first time.

From February 21 the Chaserider #3 service will run from Cannock, through Kingswood Lakeside industrial estate, past the new Norton Meadows development, through Norton Canes and then on to Brownhills.

Dan Flanagan, operations manager at Chaserider, said: "We are pleased to have been successful in our bid to provide the link between Cannock, Norton Canes and Brownhills introducing an hourly local bus service, Monday to Saturday.

"The Chaserider #3 will provide a regular, reliable and robust local bus service for local people to access employment opportunities and enjoy shopping trips along with educational needs."