Cancer fighter slams axing of bus ‘lifeline’
AWOMAN being treated for cancer at the Christie has slammed a bus company for axing the ‘lifeline’ service that gets her to the hospital.
Lori Cummings, who has esophageal cancer, has been catching the 130 from her home in Macclesfield to the centre in Withington for chemotherapy since early December.
She is due to start radiotherapy at the start of February.
It will involve Lori travelling to south Manchester five days a week for five weeks.
She said she was devastated to hear the Arriva service, which runs from Macclesfield to East Didsbury, will be scrapped from January 26.
Although another company will take over the service from this date it will then only go as far as Handforth and not run on Saturdays.
Lori, 66, said: “It’s depressing. Everybody is going to be in the same position.
“I can’t be the only one. “I do drive, but I am nervous.
“You’re not sure how you are going to be affected by the IV drip or the radiotherapy.
“I can’t expect someone to drive me every day.
“I’m going to have a peg to feed me. I’m struggling to eat anything.
“They are planning to build a Christie centre in Macclesfield, but that will be in 18 months.
“You can’t tell your cancer to wait.”
Lori said she will probably have to get a bus to Macclesfield train station, then a train to Stockport, followed by a bus to Withington.
It will mean the journey is longer and more expensive.
Her partner Paul Anderson will not be able to give Lori a lift as he doesn’t drive.
Paul, a retired electrician said: “It’s ludicrous. It’s life and death.”
Arriva said the decision to cut the 130 service was due to dwindling numbers of passenger numbers.
A spokesman said: “Passenger numbers have been falling for a number of years and Arriva have made several changes to attempt to make the service sustainable, unfortunately passenger numbers have continued to decrease.
“Therefore, the 130 is no longer commercially viable, low passenger numbers and increasing running costs means that this service will be withdrawn.”
“It’s depressing. Everybody is going to be in the same position”