Cllr David Hosking, ward member for Olney, will be asking for £25,000 at this week’s budget Full Council to help reinstate the valued 41 bus service to the communities of Olney, Lavendon and Cold Brayfield.
The 41 bus service has run for over 15 years, stopping at Northampton and Bedford, however post Covid-19 the service has been drastically reduced to only one bus to and from Northampton and Bedford each day. This has had a detrimental effect on the rural residents who rely on this service to access education, workplaces, GP surgeries, supermarkets, and other key services.
Having worked with bus providers, Cllr Hosking believes that a sustainable solution, that would implement more buses without the need for consistent public subsidy by MKCC, can be found in the coming year. However, to ensure that commercial companies have the confidence to commit to this extended service, a one-off subsidy is needed.
Cllr David Hosking, Ward member for Olney, adds “It’s time to take concrete and practical steps for our residents. The funds I am asking the Progressive Alliance to allocate are relatively small (£25,000 from reserves, with no impact on our base budget) but would go a long to ensuring an establishment of a sustainable service for those that require it the most. Accepting this amendment would serve as a boost for any new operator interested in restoring this service, this would undoubtably prove to be a lifeline for the residents of Olney, Cold Brayfield and Lavendon”
Bedford Borough Council have already subsidised their part of the service thus a refusal from MKCC would seriously inhibit the project and having put in much of the groundwork for the sake of his residents, Cllr Hosking does not think it is unreasonable to ask for MKCC to play their part in returning this vital service to these isolated communities.
