WHILE Ring and Ride services in other parts of Devon are decreasing, in the Holsworthy area such is the demand for the service that two new buses have just been purchased, thanks to the award in March of the largest lottery grant made to anyone in the South West in the last two years.

Last Monday afternoon members of the North Tamar Community Transport Association (NTCTA) proudly displayed their two new buses, recently delivered from South Wales, in Holsworthy's Manor Car Park.

The vehicles have been purchased thanks to a grant of £311,176 from the Big Lottery enabling the Ring and Ride service in the Holsworthy area to continue over the next five years.

Hitherto the NTCTA service has been run by a bus rented from Devon County Council which is also needed for school transport, thus limiting its availability. While continuing to run the DCC bus the NTCTA will now have two new buses at its disposal, enabling it to expand its services.

Standing in front of the two new buses in their distinctive new livery, NTCTA Treasurer Martin Prentice explained the blue Ford bus, which had cost £35,000, was brand new and the red VW bus, which was five-years-old, would be used as a back-up vehicle.

"The buses will be available seven days a week, so we shall add new destinations and include trips during the evenings and weekends," he said. "The blue bus will be available for hire by community groups at a cost of £35 per day plus the cost of the driver's hours."

NTCTA Chairman David Perkin said this arrival of the buses marked a huge step forward for the association. They now owned their own buses, thanks to the astute negotiations of their treasurer.

The new schedule of trips for September and October is now available and bookings can be made at the NTCTA office in the Square.