PARWICH.ORG

Dales residents invited to have their say on parking review

Derbyshire Dales District Council is asking local people for their views on possible changes to its car parking policy.

The council undertook a detailed parking policy review in 2013 when a number of changes were approved and implemented.

Other recommendations were put on hold for further consultation and this process has now started, giving people an opportunity to have their say on the possibility of charging for some existing free car parks and revising charges for season tickets.

The free car parks in question are Ashbourne’s Cokayne Avenue, Cromford’s Market Place and Lime Yard, Matlock’s Edgefold Road and Wirksworth’s Canterbury Road and North End. (more…)

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The Connect bus service has been extended and now runs from 7.00 am – 7.00 pm Monday- Friday and 8.00 am – 7.00 pm on Saturday. Details of this announcement can be found here Hours extended

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Derbyshire Connect Bus service is offering a £1 return special offer to Carsington Water . Details can be found here

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Over the school Easter holidays (10^th -22^nd April) there will be special low price for children traveling on the Derbyshire Connect bus service of £1 return compared to the normal fare of £2.40.

More info & how to book Derbyshire Connect Service

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The last scheduled 102 bus left Parwich on Friday 31 March.

The New Bus

This means it can be more flexible than conventional ‘turn up and go’ services. These generally have the same start and end destinations with fixed, timetabled stops along the way.

Journeys on Derbyshire Connect will need to be booked between a week and up to two hours before the time of travel. But because journeys are pre-booked, routes can be planned to cater to individual passengers’ needs meaning many more pick up and drop off points can be offered on different days of the week.

Bookings can be made by calling 01335 342951 or by email at bookings@derbyshireconnect.org.uk

Derbyshire Connect is initially being run as a trial for up to a year. It will be operated by Ashbourne Community Transport and serve villages north of Ashbourne and to the east as far as Wirksworth.

It will run 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 6pm, Saturday. There is no Sunday service.

Any kind of passenger will be eligible to use Derbyshire Connect for any type of journey, including current users of conventional bus services, community transport users, young people, older people, visitors and groups. It may also be used for non-emergency patient transport.

After the initial free travel period fares will be £2 adult single, £3.80 return, £1.20 child single, £2.40 return.

Gold Card holders will travel free-of-charge after 9.30am weekdays and anytime Saturdays. b_line2 cardholders will get 25% discount off adult fares and primary school pupils will pay the appropriate fare or travel free as an entitled student.

This is a six month experiment so do use the service to retain it. Importantly, do tell your neighbours who may not use the Internet.

Again ,thanks to the parish council who worked so hard to ensure a bus service remained a lifeline for our community, something recognised by Derbyshire County Council officers.

Map and more details here:

https://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/images/Derbyshire%20Connect%20DL_tcm44-288592.PDF

By Richard T

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Over the school Easter holidays (10^th -22^nd April) there will be a special low price for children traveling on the Derbyshire Connect bus service of £1 return compared to the normal fare of £2.40.

More info & how to book Derbyshire Connect Service

Read Full Post »

Has anyone tried out the new Derbyshire Connect bus service and what did you think?
Richard T

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The new bus will allow well behaved dogs to travel and you can take your bike as long as you pre book it. The tail lift can be used by people with pushchairs, wheelchairs or by people who cannot manage the steps . The driver will assist anyone who needs it and is trained accordingly. You can make a group booking as well as booking just for yourself. For more information visit Derbyshire Connect Next week  is FREE travel!

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Thanks to Richard T for the following report on Derbyshire Connect’s visit:

Meet Iris. She will become a familiar face  across this part of Derbyshire Dales as the driver of the Derbyshire Connect bus service. The existing loss making service  finishes on Friday March 31 so there will be about six weeks cross over.

Derbyshire Connect begins operation on Monday February 13 and is essentially a “Dial a Bus service” running Monday to Friday between 7am and 6pm and 8am and  6pm on Saturday. To use the 15 seater, it is essential to book ahead, the further the better and those with medical appointments will get priority.

The geography of the service covers an area roughly between Cromford and Wirksworth to the east and Onecote to the west, Ashbourne to the south and the A5012 to the north. Iris will collect you, even from your front door, and drop you off within the area. the same is true in reverse.

To book,  dial 01335  342951 between 8am and 5pm Monday to Friday. Alternatively, email bookings@derbyshireconnect.org.uk but this will require a minimum of 24 hours notice.

For the first week, the new  service will be FREE to encourage people to use it and familiar with booking. Thereafter, fares will be  £2 single or £3.80 return. Children £1.20 single or £2.40 return. Bline 2 cardholders get a 25 per cent discount.

Gold card holders travel free after 9.30am

Derbyshire Connect driver, Iris Raile, said: “There has been much interest and enthusiasm as we have taken the bus around the area  for people to become familiar with the potential for the new service. We really want people to use it and make the service a regular part  of their lives to get around.

“My colleague,  Chris  Hegarty,  and I have had a warm welcome in Parwich and I look forward to getting to know many of you as you begin to use Derbyshire Connect.”

Leaflets are being left in the Sycamore and The Legion and please hand them on to potential users.

A similar service already operates in the Staffordshire Moorlands which has a common boundary with Derbyshire Connect allowing bus users to get as far as Leek and Buxton.

Erin and mum Lucy try out the tailgate lift on the bus.

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Thanks to Andrew M, Clerk to the Parish Council, for letting us know that as part of the Derbyshire Connect Free Bus Week,  the new bus’s promotional tour will stop in Parwich between 2:30 and 4:30 pm on Saturday 4 February. Come along to see the bus, talk to staff and find out all about it.

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Thanks to Andrew M, Clerk to the Parish Council, for letting us know that as part of the Derbyshire Connect Free Bus Week,  the new bus’s promotional tour will stop in Parwich between 2:30 and 4:30 pm on Saturday 4 February. Come along to see the bus, talk to staff and find out all about it.

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Launch of new Derbyshire Connect bus service

Passengers are being offered a week’s free travel to mark the launch of our new-style bus service.

‘Derbyshire Connect’ goes into service on Monday 13 February around the wider Ashbourne area. And for the first week, all passengers can benefit from free travel to any destination.

In advance of its official launch the bus is also going on tour at various venues around Ashbourne and in Wirksworth.

Derbyshire Connect will run along the principles of a ‘Demand-Responsive-Transport (DRT) service − the first of its kind in Derbyshire.This means it can be more flexible than conventional ‘turn up and go’ services. These generally have the same start and end destinations with fixed, timetabled stops along the way.

Journeys on Derbyshire Connect will need to be booked between a week and up to two hours before the time of travel. But because journeys are pre-booked, routes can be planned to cater to individual passengers’ needs meaning many more pick up and drop off points can be offered on different days of the week.

Bookings can be made by calling 01335 342951 or by email at bookings@derbyshireconnect.org.uk

Derbyshire Connect is initially being run as a trial for up to a year. It will be operated by Ashbourne Community Transport and serve villages north of Ashbourne and to the east as far as Wirksworth.

It will run 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 6pm, Saturday. There is no Sunday service.

Any kind of passenger will be eligible to use Derbyshire Connect for any type of journey, including current users of conventional bus services, community transport users, young people, older people, visitors and groups. It may also be used for non-emergency patient transport.

After the initial free travel period fares will be £2 adult single, £3.80 return, £1.20 child single, £2.40 return.

Gold Card holders will travel free-of-charge after 9.30am weekdays and anytime Saturdays. b_line2 cardholders will get 25% discount off adult fares and primary school pupils will pay the appropriate fare or travel free as an entitled student.

Our Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Infrastructure Councillor Dean Collins, said:

“This is a first for Derbyshire and will provide people with the opportunity to tailor journeys to suit their individual needs. It will be a bus for everyone from passengers needing to get to essential services to residents and visitors wanting to make leisure trips.”Because we have never run this type of service before we are piloting it to see if we need to make any changes but in the longer term the aim is to roll out other Derbyshire Connect services in other rural parts of the county.”

Tour dates for the bus are:

• St Oswald’s Hospital, Ashbourne, Monday 30 January, 9am to 12 noon
• Ashbourne Market Place, Thursday 2 February, 9am to 12 noon
• Shawcroft Car Park, Ashbourne, Thursday 2 February, 1pm to 4pm
• Carsington Water Visitor Centre, Saturday 4 February, 10am to 2pm
• Wirksworth Market Place, Monday 6 February, 9am to 12 noon
• M&S Car Park, Ashbourne, Wednesday 8 February 9am to 12 noon
• Sainsbury’s Car Park, Ashbourne, Wednesday 8 February 1pm to 4pm

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From the Nigel Segrott collection. Does anyone recognise the passengers?

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Bus consultation – still time to have your say

Local residents are reminded they can still take part in Derbyshire County Council’s consultation on the future of the county’s bus services.

DCC is proposing to withdraw all funding for subsidised bus services − journeys that can’t be run commercially − and community transport Dial-a-Bus (DAB) ‘shopping buses’ from October 2017.

This means that unless they can be run commercially or funded from elsewhere they will stop. Typically they are early morning, evening, Sunday and rural services.

The consultation runs until Sunday 24 April 2016. Questionnaires can be completed online. Printed copies are available from all Derbyshire libraries and district and borough council offices.

The four proposals are:

• to withdraw all funding – £4.6m − for buses we pay for. This affects around 139 services
• to withdraw all funding for the county’s six community transport DAB services − just over £1m
• to put on a Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) service in the place of subsidised and DAB services
• to put on a new Door-to-Door Plus service for people who, through mobility difficulties, would be unable to use the proposed DRT service.

Details of the DRT service have yet to be developed, but in principle, passengers have to book their journey, then wait to be picked up at a specified location on a given day and time. There is usually a main route but buses can divert off this to pick up and drop at other places on the way if this has been pre-planned.

This service would be limited with around 10 minibuses to serve the county. Buses would be wheelchair-friendly and could be used by passengers who currently use subsidised buses or community transport services.

Councillor Dean Collins, Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Infrastructure, said:

“By 2020 the funding we get from Government will be more than a third lower than in 2010. These cuts are unprecedented and mean we have no choice about scaling back most of the services we provide, particularly when, by law, we do not have to provide them.”

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Information from Derbyshire County Council:

 Consultation on subsidised buses launched

Local residents are being asked their views on proposals to stop paying for local bus services and community transport to help DCC deal with the biggest budget cuts in our history.

By 2020, the funding we get from central government is expected to be more than a third less than in 2010.

This means we need to review what we spend on paying for local bus services which don’t carry enough passengers to be run commercially (subsidised buses).

We’re also reviewing the amount of money we give to Derbyshire’s six community transport schemes to run Dial-a-Bus (DAB) ‘shopping buses’.

We’re already scaling back on our support for DAB services meaning that from this year we will fund one of these trips a week for every community, town or village, to a nearby town centre or supermarket. Some areas currently have several services a week. (more…)

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