A NEW bus service between Malvern and Worcester will be introduced next month.
The new 43 will replace the former S43 school bus to Dyson Perrins and will go from Worcester to Malvern Vale and Great Malvern.
The X43 service running from Malvern Vale into Worcester was quietly withdrawn when buses were underused during the pandemic.
Currently, the S43 school service takes pupils to Dyson Perrins school but returns back to its base in Worcester without any passengers.
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In the morning, the new 43 bus will run at school times for students but the service will now extend to Great Malvern and then run back to Worcester via Malvern Vale to give new shopper links.
At 2.10pm, the return journey from Worcester to Malvern Vale will depart.
The service will return to the timetable on April 28 and First Bus has added a middle-of-the-day trip as well.
The new 43 service will now run between Link Top in Malvern looping through the town and into Malvern Vale at Dyson Perrins school before following the 44 route into Worcester.
West Worcestershire MP Dame Harriett Baldwin has long been campaigning for the return of the service.
She said: “I was delighted to be able to sit down with the senior First Bus management and together come up with a solution that allows customers to use what was an empty bus returning to its base.
“This was a common-sense solution which means that we can now celebrate the return of the X43 service which local people have asked me to campaign for.
“It is now vital that local people show their support for this service. With extra demand, I am confident that the bus company will add additional services in due course.
“Along with the extra services along the 44 route with later services and buses running on Sundays, I am grateful that First Bus is looking to improve bus service coverage and allow more people to choose public transport.
“As ever, this is a case of ‘use it or lose it’ and I hope local people will show their support for these bus service improvements by hopping on a bus.”
