Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Isolated OAPS unite in battle to bring back their bus stop
Residents facing lockdown loneliness fight for return of ‘lifeline’ service
Pensioners have been left stranded after a “lifeline” bus service ceased stopping outside a retirement complex.
For decades, the 649 bus has arrived almost directly outside Canon Appleton Court in Wincheap, acting as a vital shuttle to the city centre for elderly residents and those living nearby.
But when Stagecoach took over the contract for the KCC service earlier this year, it emerged the bus stop is not an official one, and it ceased calling there.
Many have now been left isolated as they are unable to make the “10 to 15-minute walk” to alternative stops, and are calling for it to be reinstated. Canon Appleton Court manager Lynda Gatusch said: “It’s too far for them. The majority of people using that bus are in their 70s. They’ve got a walking stick, or a walking frame or a shopping trolley. They don’t have a car.
“It’s not a big service but for a lot of older people and those with mobility issues, it’s a lifeline.
“It’s also a very sociable bus, where they’d meet others. And particularly now after the lockdown, people are desperate to get out.”
Canon Appleton Court resident Irene Paine, 71, is among those who has been impacted by the stop’s removal.
“I can’t get into town by myself now like I used to, because there’s no bus,” she said. “Another lady living here used to go into town every day on the bus to meet her friend for coffee and a chat. Now she can’t. “She really misses going into town, and she’s not alone.” Mrs Paine lives at the complex with her husband, but says she worries about other residents who live by themselves. “Some have no family left and nobody to visit,” she said. “If they take this bus stop away, they might as well take away their will to live.
“They must sit in their flats and feel really miserable, because they can’t go do things they want to. It’s so sad.” Another elderly resident said: “Some people here haven’t been out since March, and they’re slowly going crazy. It’s about their mental health.
“The two bus stops we do have to get into town are too far to walk. It’s ridiculous.” Those affected have been in touch with Stagecoach and KCC
but fear the issue is “being put on the back burner”. On Thursday, about 20 gathered for a protest led by Mrs Paine, calling for the stop to be reinstated.
“It was wonderful,” said the indomitable grandmother. “I am so proud of them.” When approached by the Gazette, the county council said it is in the process of arranging for a new bus stop to be installed outside Canon Appleton Court in St Mildreds Place, but did not respond when asked how long this will take.
A spokesman said: “We are aware of the concerns of the residents.
“We are currently arranging for a new bus stop to be placed outside their St Mildreds Place address.
“There is a process for new stops which must be followed. This involves a safety assessment and local consultation. “We are working through the process as quickly as we can.”