AN Exmoor community bus scheme serving isolated residents is facing closure after 45 years unless younger people step forward to run it and more drivers can be recruited.

Exe Valley Market Bus (EVMB) said it would be forced to stop operations at the end of June, 2024, unless new recruits could be found by the time of its annual meeting next May.

Chairman Colin Radford said the bus served areas which did not have any other available transport and where some passengers would otherwise never leave their homes.

Mr Radford said the community bus was currently without a secretary and both he and treasurer Dr Malcom Jowitt were ‘advanced in years and need to step down’.

He said as well as new officers, new volunteer drivers were needed to provide a viable service.

Mr Radford said: “Whoever wishes to take on the role of chairman will need some organisational ability, and all potential committee members need basic computer skills and access to the internet.

“Candidates will be supported in their roles by the current committee members until they are happy with their roles.”

EVMB, which has operated since 1977 and relies entirely on passengers and donations, has recently been fund-raising for £50,000 which it needed to purchase a new bus.

The bus provides a scheduled service from Oakford to Tiverton via Stoodleigh, Washfield, Loxbeare, Lurley, and Calverleigh on Tuesdays and Fridays.

It also runs on the first Thursday of each month from Oakford to Barnstaple, and on the other Thursdays from Oakford to South Molton.

Regular outings are arranged on the first Wednesday of each month to an annually-arranged programme of venues.

The bus can be booked for private hire by anybody in the area and is used regularly for trips by local community organisations.

EVMB had to stop during the Covid pandemic and was restarted in August, 2021, with Mr Jowitt warning at the time: “Restarting the service is subject to passenger support.

“We will initially be going ahead without the financial support of the Wednesday trips, so we do need passengers to use the bus.

“Unless the bus is used we will have difficulty maintaining the services.

“In short, please use it or we risk losing it.”

Anybody interested in helping the charity can call Colin Radford on 01884 881351 or Jennie Chappell on 01398 351666.