Charity keeps up essential services

BOSSES at Ashbourne Community Transport say their drivers are geared up to carry on providing essential doorto-door services during the lockdown.

The Blenheim Road-based charity, which will be open every day from 8pm until 5pm, will be running buses to get people to work, the shops and to healthcare appointments.

Its Derbyshire Connect service will continue to run between Wirksworth and Ashbourne and its Moorlands Connect service will link villages with Leek, Ashbourne and Buxton. Connections with scheduled bus and train services will also continue.

Derbyshire Connect Shopping buses, which are supported by Derbyshire County Council, will continue to provide a weekly service for essential shopping from all villages across West Derbyshire and the charity will be providing its regular shopping runs in East Staffordshire – in and to Uttoxeter and Burton – for those with no other means of accessible transport.

The service can also ferry passengers to Covid-19 vaccination appointments and can arrange prescription collection in partnership with local dispensaries and GP services.

A spokesman said: “For your safety since the start of the pandemic we have adopted a high standard of regular bus sanitisation using the recognised X-mist sanitisation system.

“Call 01335 300670 or email enquiries@ashbournect.org. uk for information or booking.

“Please give as much notice as possible to ensure that we can meet your appointment times.”