Melton bus passengers reel from new service cuts

The axing in April of the Centrebus number 19 service which linked Melton with Nottingham caused huge inconvenience for workers, shoppers, students and sports fans who used it.

And it has now been announced that the bus which takes Melton passengers to and from Oakham and Corby will be reduced at the end of this month.

Centrebus, which was the previous operator, handed back its contract for the RF1 and Service 9 journeys, meaning it would stop running buses along these routes at the end of August.

From Tuesday, August 30, the RF1 service which runs from Melton to Corby, via Oakham and Uppingham, will be operated by Bland’s Rutland Ltd and be renamed the R1 service.

The change of operator means there will be a reduction in journeys daily (Monday to Friday) between Melton and Oakham from 10 to seven.

It also means the 12 Oakham to Corby buses daily will drop to only eight.

Rutland County Council had subsidised these services to help keep them going but it says they are no longer viable at their current levels.

Councillor Rosemary Powell, cabinet member for highways and transport for the council, said: “We’re disappointed that we’ve been unable to maintain the current level of service for passengers who use the RF1 and Service 9 buses.

“Unfortunately, we had to choose between a reduced timetable for these services or discontinue them altogether.

“Increased fuel prices and driver shortages mean it’s now more challenging than ever to operate a rural bus service.

“We’ve also missed out on around £3million of government grant funding to implement a new Bus Service Improvement Plan, which would have boosted public transport in Rutland.

“Despite this, we are determined to make improvements where we can and will be carrying out a full review of all local bus services in the autumn, with a view to updating our entire network in 2023.”

It is another blow for local bus services and for people living in rural areas who rely on public transport.