Services connecting rural parts of Essex with vital services will be taken over after a taxi firm announced its immediate closure.
Arrow Taxis and Essex and Suffolk DaRT announced they were ceasing trading with immediate effect on July 26 due to a steady decrease of customers.
The service was a vital resource, transporting residents from rural areas to medical appointments and more.
Now, Essex County Council has announced bus operators will replace the services lost.
A spokesman for Essex County Council said: “Following the announcement that Arrow Taxis and Essex and Suffolk DaRT have ceased trading, Essex County Council has worked with other bus operators in the county to ensure the services affected are back up and running quickly.
"Travel will be free of charge on these services until they are registered, and we will update further when that is the case.
“The following services will start to run as follows:
- Service 12 Wickford to Billericay – with Vectare commencing on 31 July 2024 and a reduced timetable until 5 August 2024. Journeys 10.50 from Wickford, 11.20 from Billericay, 15.30 from Wickford and 16.00 from Billericay will not be operating until 5 August 2024
- Service 45 Bradwell-on-Sea to South Woodham Ferrers – with NIBs Buses. NIBs had capacity to run this service from 29 July 2024, so this is already running
- Service 10 Temple Grove to Pleshey – with Vectare commencing on 5 August 2024 –this service will now have a new service number of 48
- DaRT 3 North Braintree – with Flagfinders (CTB) commencing on 31 July 2024
“The following services will run initially for three months. We understand users will want certainty for their routes and we will continue to seek the best way to provide this.
"While we are looking at options, we want to provide replacement services as quickly as possible to minimise impacts on the users of the routes:
- Service 322/323/324 Bishop’s Stortford to Lindsell / Stebbing – with First Essex Buses commencing on 31 July 2024.
“An update on service 99A Chelmsford to Maldon will be provided as soon as possible while work continues to find a suitable solution.”
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