Council invites public to ride the 100 Express service for free.
Telford & Wrekin Council’s newly subsidised 100 bus service - nick-named the ‘Express’ will launch on Monday, December 19 with a free ride for anyone who wants to familiarise themselves with the route and timings.
Not only that, recruitment agency - Telford Industrial - Telford College's Employability Team and the council’s JobBox team will also be on board taking details of people looking for work and training opportunities.
The council is not legally allowed to run bus services but can step in and subsidise routes that commercial operators are unable to cover, due to reasons such as significant financial pressures from rising costs, lower passenger numbers since the pandemic and a shortage of drivers.
The service provides a new link for areas in South Telford with the major industrial estates, Wellington and the Princess Royal Hospital.
It will also provide direct transport for pupils to Telford Priory School according to its timetable with an additional service for after school sessions.
The new service will cover continental shift patterns and enable people to get to work on time in a cost effective and reliable way. The first morning departure from Madeley bus station is at 4:50am seven days a week and runs throughout the day until 11pm.
Normal service on the 100 will see fares are capped at a maximum of £2 per single journey for adults (£1 for U16s) and example average journey times include, Sutton Hill to Halesfield – five minutes, 19 to Stafford Park and 31 minutes to furthest away, Hortonwood.
Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing, Enforcement and Transport, Councillor Richard Overton (Labour) said: “We don’t run bus services in Telford, they are run for profit by private bus operators and we do not have the legal powers or funding to run a borough-wide service.
“However, we are able to provide funding to subsidise some routes or services that are not viable for private bus operators to run. Local use of buses is around 80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, and private operators continue to face pressure to run profitable routes.”
For full details of the route stops and times, visit the website at www.telford.gov.uk/100express
