Major bus disruption in Derbyshire as Hulleys of Baslow ceases operation

Derbyshire County Council (DCC) has confirmed that Hulleys of Baslow, a bus operator that operated services across Chesterfield, Derbyshire and the Peak District, will cease operating from Wednesday, March 26.

Hulleys ran a number of commercial services, and DCC has confirmed that it does not have a formal role in finding new operators for these services – as they are privately operated and run and have to be registered with the Traffic Commissioner.

The services that will not immediately be taken on by new operators include the 170 between Chesterfield and Bakewell, the 55 between Chesterfield and Alfreton, the 271/272 between Castleton and Sheffield and the 6 between Chesterfield and Wadshelf.

DCC said it will support residents in finding alternative travel options in the meantime, but hopes these services can be picked up soon by new operators.

Derbyshire County Council’s Executive Director for Place, Chris Henning, said: “We were sorry to hear that Hulleys are to cease trading this week, both for the company and its employees but also the many residents and communities their bus services visited. We have done all we can over recent months to support them through a very challenging period.”

DCC have confirmed that seven supported bus services were put out to tender following poor performance by Hulleys, and these services will now be run by different operators.

The new operators are:

The 110/111 – to be run by Ashbourne Community Transport.

172,173,178 – to be run by Andrew’s of Tideswell.

63 – to be run by Stagecoach Yorkshire.

257 – to be run by Linburg Coach Travel.

All four services will start on Thursday, March 27, and the timetables will remain the same.

Chris Henning added: “We have been concerned about the reliability of their services for some time and took the decision a few weeks ago to find other operators for the ones that the council pay for, in the hope that this would enable them to concentrate on their commercial services. Sadly this has not turned out to be the case.

“We are pleased that we have new operators for our services and are hopeful that the commercial routes they ran will be picked up very soon. We also hope that the rest of our local bus companies will be able to offer jobs to those employed by Hulleys.”

John Whitby, MP for Derbyshire Dales, issued a statement in which he expressed concerns that Hope Valley residents would be left without crucial bus services – which help to keep these rural communities connected.

He said: “I’m deeply concerned to hear the sudden news that Hulleys of Baslow will cease trading this Wednesday, March 26. If this is the case, Hope Valley residents will be left without vital bus services. This will seriously impact people who rely on these services to get to work, school, medical appointments and to meet up with loved ones.

“Public transport is essential for keeping our rural communities connected, and we must do all we can to keep them running.

“I am writing to DCC, Derbyshire Dales District Councillor and the East Midlands Mayor, to highlight the urgency of finding a quick solution for residents – and I’ll be speaking with residents to hear how they will be personally affected.”

Derbyshire Dales District Councillor Peter O’Brien, who represents Hathersage ward, said that Hulleys services offered a vital link for residents across the Peak District, despite recent issues with reliability – and called for a replacement operator to be found urgently.

He said: “The loss of bus services such as the 257 will be devastating. I can imagine that there will be many, many people waiting at bus stops on Thursday morning, for a bus that will now never arrive. I know that Hulleys had their problems with reliability, but there are still a great many residents who have relied on their services to take them into Bakewell or Sheffield. The 257 also provides an essential link between the villages of Baslow, Calver, Stoney Middleton, Eyam, Grindleford, Hathersage, Bamford and Yorkshire Bridge.

“I often speak to people who use the bus regularly, from pensioners to young parents with children and they will be at a loss to know what to do now. Services like the 257 are not subsidised, which means that the County Council have no obligation to find new operators. In the light of this, I have today asked our MP John Whitby, and through him East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward, to address the situation with the utmost urgency. I also hope that our District and Parish Councils will offer to play their part, as this is a problem that will directly affect so many people.

“By working together in this way, I hope that our local communities can once again have a network of bus services which we can all use on a regular basis, and be justifiably proud.”

Hulleys of Baslow have been contacted by the Derbyshire Times for comment.