ommunity buses ornpaign launch
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)1SIMUNITY bus works, was the message put forward by Sir Frederick Wood, chairman of ional Bus Company, when he recently launched a campaign to promote rural Community vices.
h a little help from your is the title of a pamublished by NBC in an our to provide informincentive and encount to potentially local ided communities, and ) report on projects in existence.
Norfolk Community now been operational ut two years and it is no regarded by the NBC as now viable in its own xis used in Norfolk is a Ford Transit owned aintained by National ary Eastern Counties. me from fares for the c bus is about £45 per or the vehicle which , 375 miles a week. ue from fares is mented by excursions ivate hire which allow eme to operate without Transit minibus is to be every five years, A of approximately 15 .eer unpaid drivers the scheme. Standing s are approximately E40 ek.
imunity bus schemes so operating in the iere area of East Sussex wyd in North Wales. A scheme has now been shed jointly with Northnshire County Council .ugby and an off-shoot ie Norfolk bus is soon to iched around the North k village of Aldborough. Frederick Wood said hile the community bus It the only answer to the ,m it is a solution to ,y in rural areas with a !rnand transport situat ;tressed that the com bos should be consids a compliment to our ig bus network rather substitute for it. The National Bus Company is willing to provide professional guidance in driver training, licensing, marketing and publicity as well as providing and maintaining vehicles.
The county and local authorities provide the finance for setting up the scheme and the villages themselves operate the service to safe standards at minimum ex pense. This fulfils recommendations published in the Government Transport White Paper. Ford Transit minibuses form the hardcore of vehicles so far used on the schemes. Norfolk uses standard 12-seater diesels, while Cuckmere uses a coachbuilt petrol vehicle.
The vehicles are expected to cover about 370 miles per week and last for five years.
Trade union co-operation is always sought by the NBC during the preliminary stages of setting up the service to ensure that no members' jobs are jeopardised by the volunteer operations.