ECT Charity regrets to report that its operations in Chesire are to close on 31 March 2026, including our PlusBus services. The move follows the end of our current transport contracts with Cheshire West and Chester Council, which provided the economic backing for our depot in Ellesmere Port and our additional PlusBus services.
“This is a sad day for all of us at ECT Charity” said Duncan Howard, ECT Charity CEO. “We have consulted with our staff and explored all possible options with the council, but a sustainable way forward could not be found in time. Like many community transport charities, we rely on contract work to meet our full depot costs and without this income, we are not in a position to continue.
“Closing our Cheshire depot was the very last thing we wished to do, but the circumstances are unavoidable. We have had the privilege of serving the community in Cheshire since 2007 and we understand fully the difference that our services make to people's lives. We will be engaging with the council and other stakeholders to see what can be done to reduce the impact on both our service users and staff.”
ECT Charity understands that the council is currently advancing plans to ensure that a Dial A Ride service continues with as little disruption as possible. We would urge anyone who uses the service to look out for further announcements from the council on this topic.
