Good News for Villager Transport Service

Lib Dem Mayor of Bedford Borough, Dave Hodgson and The Villager Community Transport Service have announced a deal which will see £60,000 of Council funding used to help purchase a new vehicle for the vital rural transport service.

The Villager is a long standing community-led transport service which is staffed and run entirely by volunteers and provides regular shopper services for villages in the north of the borough. It is open to all residents but is particularly important to elderly or less mobile residents living in rural areas.

The current vehicle has been showing signs of wear and tear in recent months and break downs have caused disruptions to the service. The new vehicle, supported by the Council, will help to improve this vital service for many rural residents.

Dave said: "The Villager provides an extremely important service to residents, particularly in rural parts of the borough, many of whom would otherwise have difficulty travelling into the town centre or elsewhere.

"We are pleased that we have been able to help this service to purchase a new vehicle. This will ensure The Villager can offer an improved service and can help even more people."

The Villager currently runs 13 services on a weekly, fortnightly and monthly basis. The vehicle is in use 5 days a week, most weeks of the year and covers hundreds of miles every month.

The new Villager vehicle will be more reliable and efficient and will be chosen following consultation to meet the operating environment and aspirations of its passengers and drivers.

The Villager timetables are available on the Council website at www.bedford.gov.uk/businfo and at the Bedford Borough Council Customer Service Centre, on Horne Lane in Bedford town centre.