NORTH Shropshire's MP is taking on rural bus services after research revealed just one route operates across the whole county on Sundays.

Helen Morgan will put forward the bill in the House of Commons on Wednesday (July 20).

Ahead of the session, she said a lack of public transport services in small market towns in her constituency has become a huge issue as people can not access hospitals and GPs, and blamed the Government's neglect and lack of care for rural areas.

She said: “It is staggering that it is 2022 and yet the people of North Shropshire are forced to fork out for a taxi to access something as basic as a GP appointment if they do not drive.

“If you live in a rural area and need to get to hospital there are no direct buses, no trains and ambulances are taking hours to reach people.

“It’s hard enough getting around on a weekday – particularly if you live in Market Drayton or Whitchurch, let alone a rural village – but on a Sunday if you don’t own a car you’ve no choice but to stay at home.

“This Conservative Government’s neglect has led to a lethal combination where if a suspected cancer patient is lucky enough to be offered an appointment they have no way of getting there.”

The Lib Dem MP hopes that the bill will ensure that every town with a population of more than 10,000 has a bus service running every day of the week.

Average number of departures for towns with populations of 10,000 to 20,000 is 306 each weekday, however Market Drayton and Whitchurch average 74 to 66 departures, respectively.

The only bus route running in the Shropshire Council area travels between Oswestry and Wrexham.

Ms Morgan added: "This is yet more clear evidence that levelling up does not apply to rural areas like North Shropshire.

"Here families face no choice but to spend grocery money on filling up their car because that’s the only way they can get to school or the nearest clinic.

"The same families who must wait four hours or longer for an ambulance if someone suffers a heart attack."

Further research has revealed that 247 bus routes have shut down across the West Midlands in the past five years.