New Stone bus trial, routes, times and fare details revealed

Stone Town Council has today revealed the specific details of the replacement local bus services that were lost at the end of July

The Council are sponsoring a three month trial of four, once a week services between Stone town centre and each of the Aston Lodge, Stonefield, Walton and Cherryfields areas.

The bus routes will be (all times are approximate):

The services are planned to start on Friday 19th October (Aston Lodge and Walton) and Tuesday 23rd October (Stonefield and Cherryfields) 2018. All timings are approximate.

The services will be operated in conjunction with Community Link Stafford & District. Bus passengers will need to become members of the organisation BEFORE they can travel, for which Community Link charge £7 per year. Applications forms for membership are available from the Town Council and will need to be sent back to Community Link in good time for them to be able to return membership cards.

Stone Bus Service Frequently Asked Questions:

What services are being operated?
One service per week is being operated from each of the Cherryfields, Stonefield, Walton and Aston
Lodge areas. Details of timings and stops are attached.

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Who is operating the service?
The service has been organised and paid for by Stone Town Council. It is operated by Community
Link Stafford and District, who are an experienced community transport provider. Buses will be able
to be recognised by distinctive signs containing the logos of both organisations.

How much will it cost to travel on the service?
The service will cost £2.00 per single journey, which will be collected by the driver when you board
the bus. Concessionary passes will not be accepted. Children under 16 will not be charged.

Who will be able to travel on the service?
The service will be open to anyone aged 16+ who are members of Community Link, plus children
under 16 who are accompanied by a member. No-one without a membership card will be permitted
to travel unless they are a child accompanied by a member.

How do I become a member of Community Link?
Membership will cost £7.00 per full or part year, and a passport photo will need to be provided.
Application forms are available from the Town Council or Community Link, and should be
returned directly to Community Link at the address on the form. Please note that you will be unable
to use the service until you have a valid membership card.

I use a wheelchair, will I be able to take advantage of the service?
Yes, but you will need to contact Community Link on 01785 252050 by the day prior to the service
operating to ensure that they use a suitably adapted bus. Only one wheelchair can be
accommodated per bus, the space for which will be reserved on a “first come, first served basis”.
Unless they have been notified of the need to accommodate a wheelchair, Community Link will use
a non-adapted minibus, which cannot accommodate wheelchairs, as it will hold more passengers.

Can I reserve a seat on the bus?
Other than as provided above for wheelchair users, use of the service will be on a “first come, first
served” basis. This will be reviewed by the Town Council if the service is regularly oversubscribed.

What will happen after the three month trial period?
This depends on the usage of the service within the trial. If the service is well used, then the Council will
continue to fund it into the future. Some or all of the service may be withdrawn or re-arranged after
the trial if it is less well used.

About the new bus service Councillor Rob Kenney, Chairman of the Council’s General Purposes Committee said:

“I’m pleased to be able to confirm that service details have now been finalised. I would encourage travellers to return their application forms to Community Link as soon as possible so that they can take full advantage of the service during the trial period.”