SHOPPERS could soon be able to hop on and hop off a minibus taking a circular route of Wrexham town centre.

The new service is the latest in a series of measures being planned by Wrexham Council to give a much-needed boost to traders reeling from the economic downturn.

It comes after the authority gave the go-ahead on Tuesday to a scheme piloting free parking after noon at two of its town centre car parks - the People’s Market multi-storey and Crescent Road.

Outlining the shoppers’ bus plan, the council’s deputy leader Cllr David Bithell, who is also lead member for the environment and transport, said: “We are now having regular meetings with the Town Centre Forum and traders and a number of ideas have come forward.

“One of them is to have a little bus - possibly a 20-seater minibus  doing a circular route of the town centre, which people could hop on and hop off wherever is convenient for them.

“Our officers are currently speaking to potential operators of the service.

“How much the fare would be we don’t yet know but it wouldn’t be anything significant.

“We have no details yet of the route it would take but we would try to cover as much as possible of the town centre and also take in Eagles Meadow shops.

“I think this kind of shopper bus would be very welcome.”

Cllr Bithell said talks would be taking place between council officers and traders’ leaders about a number of other trade-boosting schemes, including extending the Monday open market to streets beyond Queens Square, to which it is currently limited.