The bus at Howden Reservoir

A community bus service has been set up in an attempt to ease traffic problems at a national park honeypot.

The Derwent Dams Shuttle offers visitors to the Peak District a route into the popular Derwent Valley.

The bus, run by not-for-profit charity Bakewell and Eyam Community Transport, has received a grant of almost £12,000 from the national park authority to run the service.

The hail-and-ride service will run every 40 minutes at weekends and bank holidays between Fairholmes visitor centre at Ladybower Reservoir and King’s Tree at the head of the Derwent Valley.

The route is closed to motor traffic at weekends and bank holidays.

Tim Nicholson, transport policy officer for the Peak District National Park Authority, said: “At weekends and bank holidays the Derwent Valley can be overrun with cars trying to park.

“This service offers people the ability to use connecting bus services to get to Fairholmes and then get on the bus from Fairholmes to King’s Tree.

“It also gives people who arrive by car and don’t want to walk or cycle to King’s Tree the chance to see all parts of the Upper Derwent Valley on their visit.”

Edwina Edwards, chief executive of Bakewell and Eyam Community Transport, said: “This is the first time we have run a scheduled service and it seems to be going well so far.

“We are pleased to enter into this partnership with the Peak District National Park Authority.

“It enables us to employ local drivers and provides an alternative way of getting to one of the most visited areas of the national park without the problems of congestion.”

Return tickets for the bus cost £3 for adults and £1.50 for children. One-way journeys cost £2 for adults and £1 for children.

The authority has provided a grant of £11,972 to run the service. A timetable can be seen on the Peak District national park website.