Fury as key bus route is blocked by roadworks
Passengers still face five weeks of disruption
Residents on an estate near Maidstone say they have become “prisoners in their own home” after roadworks put the brakes on a key bus service.
People living in Ringlestone – particularly those with pre-paid monthly passes – have been left fuming by the disruption caused by gas main replacement works stopping their route into town.
Usually the Arriva 79 comes out from Maidstone, past Springfield, along Chatham Road, turns left into Calder Road and around Dickens Road in a big loop back to Chatham Road and back to Maidstone town centre.
There are three bus stops within the estate, all on Dickens Road, known as Egerton Road, Sheridan Close, and Dickens Road top.
But because of the gas-main works under way in Calder Road, there is currently no entry at the junction with Chatham Road.
So buses are skipping the estate and staying on the Chatham Road.
And that’s left a lot of unhappy would-be passengers who rely on the service.
Garry Baillie, 52, of Dickens Road, said: “That isn’t what they are supposed to do.
“There is a diversion in place and they can still come down Dickens Road, along Lushington Road, right into Calder Road further down, and then back around Dickens Road servicing all three stops.
“It’s a long walk up to the Chatham Road for the many elderly and disabled people at the bottom of the estate.”
But an Arriva spokesman said drivers have no choice but to avoid the area while the work is on-going. They explained: “We
are unable to get buses up and down Lushington Road as the road is too narrow with parked cars on it.
“We are instead using the old Chatham Road and waiting the time out at the stops along Chatham Road.”
For those reliant on the service, they have a while to wait before normal service is resumed.
The gas works started on June 27 and are expected to continue for another five weeks.
Mr Baillie, who has mobility problems after an earlier heart attack, said: “It isn’t right.
“I – and others – have paid for a monthly season ticket, but we are not being given a service.
“Many of us are now effectively a prisoner in our own homes.”
But Arriva reassured customers they wouldn’t lose out, adding: “We can provide a pro-rata refund for the days that passengers are unable to use their tickets.”