A BRAND new bus is now whisking its passengers around remote hamlets in West Devon and East Cornwall, thanks to much-needed grants secured by the Tavistock Community Transport group. The new bus, which cost around £50,000, came into service on Saturday when it pulled into Bedford Square behind the present vehicle, that has been in use for the past eleven years. After a ribbon-cutting ceremony by the chairman of Tavistock Community Transport, Cllr Robin Pike, the new bus was officially on the road, taking its first passengers home to Mill Hill, Otter, Luckett and Stoke Climsland. A spokesman for Tavistock Community Transport Group said: ?The new bus is a major investment for TCT, which would not have been possible without grant aid from Devon County Council, Cornwall County Council, the Sobell Trust, the Northcott Foundation and the Norman Family Charitable Trust, to all of whom we are very grateful. ?The volunteers who run TCT now look forward to providing Tavistock and the surrounding rural area with a reliable service for many years to come.? Tavistock Community Transport is still desperately looking for volunteers to take on the role of co-ordinator for the bus service. The present co-ordinator, Giles Baigent, has been doing the job single-handedly for many years and is about to go into hospital for an operation. At present, two of the drivers are to share the role in addition to their driving duties, but TCT really needs extra volunteers to fill the post. Anyone who could spare TCT a few hours a week to keep the new bus on the road should call 01822 833574 or 01822 870338 for an informal preliminary chat.
