Dial-a-Ride users in Oswestry are being reassured the company is "not going anywhere".

New government rules that were proposed last week could mean that volunteers drivers for services like Dial-a-Ride, which operates in Oswestry and surrounding Shropshire towns, would need to have the same licence as that of a commercial driver.

The process of training a driver to get a licence could cost thousands of pounds, and although the Oswestry service has two commercial drivers who already have licences, changes would mean that the other drivers would also need licences.

The Department for Transport is carrying out a consultation to determine whether new licences should be brought in for drivers of community buses.

Michelle Kelsall, from Qube, has reassured the service users that Oswestry Dial-a-Ride will still be going.

She said: "There is no direct threat to Dial-a-Ride.

"We have been working with Shropshire Council who have been hugely supportive.

"A lot of people rely on Dial-a-Ride. For a lot of people, in particular elderly people, this is their opportunity to socialise and have a bit of independence.

"We want to let our Dial-a-Ride users know that we're not going anywhere. Nothing is going to change. We might need to adjust the way we do things in the future, but we'll still operate. The last thing we want is for our customers to worry."

There are 400 members who use the service on a regular basis.

Shropshire Council's Communities Overview Committee held a meeting yesterday (Monday) to discuss the future of vital Dial-a-Ride services.