Further to concerns about the planned withdrawal of the 747 bus service, I am pleased to report that the County Council has agreed to step in and provide emergency funding to keep the service going for the next 12 months. This is in the form of a one off intervention payment of £60,000 to Centrebus (£40,000 from Leicestershire County Council and £20,000 from Rutland County Council). I am grateful to the officers of the County Council for the action they have taken.

I’m sure this announcement will be welcome news for people living in communities along the A47 especially those who depend on the bus to get to college, work and the doctors surgery etc. The threat of the service being withdrawn from 8 Jan was a huge concern for these users but they can now be assured there will still be a service after Christmas.

I have been impressed by the number of people that have signed the petition, supported the campaign on Facebook and lobbied Leicestershire and Rutland County Councils to retain a local bus service. It is inconceivable that the major route into Leicester like the A47 could have been left without any public transport link at all. Keeping the bus running for the next 12 months will hopefully allow time for a sustainable long term solution to be found and I will continue to work with local communities and parish councils along the route to ensure the service meets passengers’ needs and increase its usage.

Thank you to everyone who has contacted me on the issue and played a part in retaining the bus for the time being.

Simon Galton