Call made to save a 'lifeline' bus route
Councillors are being urged to support a campaign to keep the only bus service that serves a number of villages.
The 7 bus, which connects villages including Fenny Drayton, Sheepy Magna, Sheepy Parva, Congerstone and Witherley with Ashby and Nuneaton faces being axed.
Conservative-run Leicestershire County Council has been consulting on scrapping the service.
Liberal Democrat councillors Bill Crooks and Michael Mullaney are putting a motion to the next Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council meeting calling for the route to be kept.
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Coun Crooks said: "This service needs to be retained. I have been contacted by people who use this service to get to work.
"At a time when the Government is trying to encourage people into work, it is wrong to get rid of the only bus service for people in these villages.
"I have also been contacted by elderly residents who depend on the bus for travel from the village.
"This bus is vital for many people."
Coun Mullaney said: "Hundreds of people have signed petitions and written in supporting keeping the Number 7 bus.
"These villages do not have shops and other services. This regular bus service is a lifeline for the people who can't drive."
County Hall said it wanted to save £750,000 from its £3 million bus subsidy budget.
Officials said the service could be replaced by a dial-a-bus system where residents telephoned to order transport when they needed it.
Comments
by Robert21a
Thursday, September 13 2012, 9:42PM
“I agree that the 7 fulfils a useful lifeline to a number of villages but the residents have to actually use it, not just complain that it might get withdrawn through lack of use !!”
by llamalamb
Thursday, September 13 2012, 8:48PM
“Don't forget that under conservative rules, a bus is not a public service designed to be part of the transport infrastructure, but a profit centre. Who cares if people are stranded in our country villages? Haven't they all got Range Rovers? Let them eat cake.”
by PLYMFOX01
Thursday, September 13 2012, 3:32PM
“The reality is there is only so much money in the pot for things like this. Most of the buses running around outside the peak hours are used by people who dont pay plus usage in the evenings on most routes is on the low side.
If the free travel on buses was changed so a flat fare of 50p single and £1 return was paid instead then this money could be used to help safeguard services such as the one mentioned in the article.”