More than �2.3 million annually spent in High Streets across Devon by community transport users, says new figures.

A survey carried out last November by Devon’s Community Transport Association, asked 4,500 Ring & Ride and Shopmobility service users how much they had spent on their shopping trips that month.

Anonymous responses showed this to be just over �153,000, making the annual spend around �2.35 million.

More than 34,600 passengers use Ring & Ride buses a year, and more than 7,000 access Shopmobility services.

For every pound invested by Devon County Council on community transport, almost �9 is spent in the local economy.

Sidmouth-based Councillor Stuart Hughes, DCC cabinet member for highways and transportation, said: “These figures highlight just how important community transport is in Devon and how it helps to support the local economy.

“Ring & Ride, Shopmobility and other forms of community transport ensure people are not cut off.

“They connect rural communities with their nearest market or coastal town, helping residents access local shops and other vital services.

“It can make a massive difference to the thousands of people who make use of the transport, and it must be remembered that its success is due to volunteers as well as staff.”

Find out more about community transport in Devon at www.tfyc.org.uk or call 01392 382123.