Pledge to ‘explore all options’ as bus operator is to close
Councillors have pledged to ‘explore all the options’ following news that a bus service in Darlington’s West End will cease to run after the owner of operator Scarlet Band decided to close the business.
Scarlet Band has operated the hourly ‘Pink Bus’, service 16, from Hummersknott and Mowden to North Road/Glebe Road via the hospital and the town centre for almost a decade, as a supported service which is funded by a Government grant.
Scarlet Band will cease to operate on Saturday, October 29. The company will continue to run the number 16 service until that date. Following the shock announcement, council officers are already working to look at all the options for the affected area.
Members of Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet had agreed only in September to continue the grant funding, provided by the Government’s devolved Bus Service Operators Grant and Bus Recovery Grant, which would have supported the number 16 service for a further two years.
The owner of Scarlet Band has said the decision to close was not made lightly but that they were struggling to maintain their fleet due to supply chain issues and the departure of a number of driving and engineering staff – a situation felt by many bus operators across the UK following the impact of covid lockdowns.
Councillor Andy Keir, cabinet member for local services, said: “The closure of Scarlet Band is a terrible shame as they have been a key supporter of services and a highly regarded operator in Darlington for almost a decade.
“We are now exploring all options available to us and we will keep service users updated as much as possible in the coming weeks.
“Bus services have been badly impacted across the board by the restrictions placed on them during covid, as well as the change in working patterns and the loss of drivers from the industry. We will continue to support and challenge bus operators in Darlington to ensure they are providing the best service possible to the passengers who rely on them.”