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News Article |
Written by Claire Wright |
Tuesday, 10 March 2015 23:16 |
On Thursday 19th February Devon County Council agreed (alongside other severe and damaging budget cuts forced on it by the Government) to cut its support of local bus services by £1.7 million.
I know that the Town Bus is a lifeline for many older and less able people. It enables them to be independent; it allows them to do their shopping, to go to the Coleridge Medical Centre, and to Ottery Hospital, and to the library, and to other Ottery facilities. The Town Bus provides a wonderful service. Most of the users know each other, and they are also known to the very caring driver Colin. The bus has a social dimension. Without it, some Ottery older people would not be able to get out as much. The service provides a door to door service for many older people who live alongside the route. Many of them would struggle to walk a long distance to a bus stop. Understandably the bus users are shocked and upset at the idea that they may no longer have the bus. I know some of them would have great difficulty in getting around because of Ottery`s many steep hills. I am determined to do every-thing I can to save the Ottery Town Bus; to lose it would be absolutely devastating for many people. I have been in discussions with DCC officers in an attempt to keep the bus running, for perhaps two or three days a week. I have offered to fund this from my Locality Budget. I hope very much that the future of the Ottery Town bus service can be guaranteed in the near future – even if it runs for less days than it does now. Claire Wright Devon County Councillor Ottery Rural - Independent |