Worksop bus service saved after operator deems it's no longer profitable and council steps in

The authority will keep busses on the Stagecoach 6 & 7 route - which runs from Worksop to Gateford, Shireoaks, Rhodesia, then back to Worksop – on the roads. Without the council stepping in, the service would be withdrawn.

Another Bassetlaw service – the Marshalls 37, which runs from Retford to Newark via East Markham, Tuxford, Sutton on Trent and Muskham is also being saved.

The county council’s financial support for these services – along with nine others in Nottinghamshire – as part of its Bus Network Review is being agreed with the commercial operators and for the time being, passengers won't see any difference in route or timetables, although the services may be subject to redesign and review over the next 12 months.

Councillor Neil Clarke MBE, Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “Nottinghamshire County Council has stepped in to save these eleven bus routes for now, but it’s still a case of ‘use these bus services or risk losing them’.

"We hope residents in these areas will travel on these services more regularly in the future. They are a clean and safe way to travel, and you don’t have to worry about driving or parking. It’s cheaper to leave your car at home and go by bus, and it helps protect the environment too by reducing air pollution.

“The last few years have taken their toll on bus services nationally, including here in Nottinghamshire. Passenger numbers in rural areas are at around 60 per cent of the levels we saw before the Covid-19 pandemic and at around 80 per cent in more urban areas. We are therefore committed to working with local operators to reinvigorate bus services like these, which play a vital role in keeping communities connected.

“In Nottinghamshire, there are over 200 bus routes connecting communities, workplaces, shopping centres, health facilities and leisure venues and by using these services more frequently, residents can not only help protect their bus services but also protect their pocket."