Free bus for villagers hit by post office closure

A free minibus service is being provided by North Yorkshire County Council for people in Catterick Village whose post office has been temporarily shut.

Since September 6 it has run every Monday and provides villagers with a link to the post office branches in Brompton-on-Swale and Scorton.

The service may be extended beyond October 25 if take-up increases and run up to or near to the date of the re-opening of the post office in Catterick Village, which is expected to be early in the New Year.

The provision of the service follows an intervention by County Councillor Carl Les, the local member for Catterick Bridge.

"The closure of the post office in Catterick Village is a serious problem for many people, particularly those with mobility problems," said Coun Les.

"This is a short-term answer to a pressing local problem, which will only be satisfactorily resolved when Post Office Ltd reopen a branch for the villagers at Catterick."

The free bus service will alternate weekly between Brompton-on-Swale and Scorton. It will leave the bus stop in Catterick Village High Street at 10am, and again at 11am, giving passengers on each journey 30 minutes to complete their Post Office business.

Although Catterick post office does not operate outreach services to any nearby villages, its closure has affected the nearby Marne Barracks and outlying farms and rural houses.

As reported by the Yorkshire Post, Catterick post office closed on a temporary basis on Friday, July 2, following an audit.

Bosses have apologised to customers for any inconvenience caused and assured them that they are doing all they can to reopen the branch as soon as possible.

It was feared the closure would hit elderly and disabled residents who might struggle to get to Brompton and Colburn because of irregular bus services.

Campaigners have been fighting for better public transport links for years because service buses to Richmond and Darlington only run once or twice a day.