COMMUNITY First has begun a five week trial period of a new bus route in Pewsham to replace the reduced 231 service which no longer serves the estate.

But some are unhappy that users are being asked to pay a monthly fee for unlimited journeys on the new service, which ran for the first time on Monday.

Community First is running three round trips each morning from Lodge Way in Pewsham to Sainsbury’s in Cepen Park South via the bus station, train station and Chippenham hospital and took around 15 passengers on Monday.

Alan Truscott, head of grants and enterprise at Community First, said: “We are replacing it with a month’s trial with a minibus service running in the morning. It’s trying to find a solution that fits all requirements for a service they want at a price they can pay.

“It gives them unlimited travel; the previous bus was £3 for a round trip so £10 for the month is good value for money.”

Community First has said it would need more than 100 regular users on the service for it to continue beyond the initial trial period.

The service, a 16-seater mini-bus, will cost £15 for those in work and £10 for retired passengers or those out of work. Children aged 11 or over will be £5 while under 11s will be free.

Wiltshire Councillor and town councillor Mark Packard said: “It’s not the service First were doing, its three round trips a day aimed at the people who cannot get to London Road or drive.

“We will trial it for five weeks and will have to make a decision on the 18th; we will see how many people have signed up.

“Most of the people who have contacted me are people who would have been isolated if there was no bus service.

“They cannot get to the London Road and they would have had no way of getting into town. These are the people I am trying to help, it’s not ideal but it’s a solution for the time being.”

Bus drivers will accept cash or cheque (payable to Community First) during the trial with passengers needing to sign up for a 12 month period if the service is to continue into October.

Wiltshire Councillor Horace Prickett, portfolio holder for passenger transport, said: “We have explored a number of options to try to find an affordable replacement service, and we will continue to do everything we can.”

But Michelle Donelan MP has doubts over the scheme's long term sustainability and wants to see Wiltshire Council open up the route to tender.

She said: “It’s good that the service is being maintained but in the long term I’m not sure it’s sustainable.

“It’s making a public service exclusive, £15 per person per month, for a family that’s a massive outgoing per month and unless you use it every day it won’t pay for itself.

“You don’t want a bus service that is just for the wealthy, the idea we have a senior citizens bus pass is that it’s free. I don’t think it’s fair."