How are we supposed to get to the next village without a car? Ridiculous!

Why are we still pretending everyone drives everywhere, especially in rural areas? We've got perfectly good buses going past Bakewell, but they run about as often as a hen lays a golden egg, and only to the big towns. It’s completely impractical for folks who don't or can't drive, and it’s killing the chances of people visiting smaller villages properly, not just swarming the main street.

My proposal is simple: let local councils, or even parish councils like mine, have a proper say and some funding to run actual local transport. Think small minibuses, community transport schemes, or even dial-a-ride services that connect the villages and hamlets properly. We know our areas, we know where people need to go – the doctor, the shop, the next village for a pint. We could make it work, connecting people and places that the big bus companies just ignore because it’s not profitable enough for them.