Fears communities cut off as bus services axed

THERE are fears that elderly and vulnerable people will be left isolated after various Cornwall Council-funded bus routes across Cornwall are cut.

The changes will take effect in early September, giving just two weeks’ notice to many users of the services who rely on the transport for shopping and appointments.

One of the places where the local bus route will be cut is St Neot, where a number of residents are said to be “entirely dependent” on bus services.

Andy Merrett-Jones, from St Neot, says some villagers may even have to move away as a result of the decision. He said: “As from September 4 with just two weeks’ notice all public transport services to our village of St Neot are being withdrawn by Cornwall Council. We have lived in this village for the past 28 years and never in all these years has Cornwall Council withdrawn public transport to this village. My wife is registered blind and I am 82-years-old. In addition there are a small number of other people in the village who are entirely dependent on public transport for one reason or another, to enable visits to the doctors, dentists, pharmacists plus other requirements including food. It is true that not many people use the 11b GObus every day but by Cornwall Council taking this action they are deliberately isolating vulnerable people and taking away their freedom, plus potentially forcing them to move to another area that has a bus service.”

Residents in Twelveheads, between Truro and Redruth, have been told that the bus stop in Twelveheads will be no more. One said: “Their solution is to use a dangerous area at Cross Lanes, when we have a perfectly viable bus shelter here. Cross Lanes is a fast road and it will be an accident waiting to happen, it will be dark and wet walking up to this stop.”

Cornwall Council has responded saying that tough decisions have had to be made to keep the network financially viable. It said in a statement: “We have been working with Cornwall’s bus operators with the aim of making the network more resilient and financially sustainable.

“We have had to make some very hard decisions to make sure our limited financial and operational resources are being directed to where they will be most effective. The use of the St Neot route is extremely low and is unfortunately not financially viable.

“We are actively engaging with Community Groups across Cornwall to identify where they may be able to work with us on plugging gaps in the Local Bus network.”

About half of all bus services in the county are paid for by Cornwall Council. Cllr Colin Martin, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, said: “These cuts to vital rural bus services are wrong on so many levels: The Council’s own Transport Plan published just four months ago promises to double the number of passengers on public transport as part of the commitment to eliminate Cornwall’s carbon emissions by 2030. We are in a cost of living crisis where many people cannot afford to keep a car on the road, let alone fill it with fuel. Some of our most vulnerable residents are unable to drive at all.

“The Council claims it is making buses more affordable by introducing tickets for unlimited travel across Cornwall for £5 per day and within “Town Zones” for £3 per day, but this isn’t much good if your local bus service doesn’t start early enough in the morning, doesn’t run regularly throughout the day, or has been cancelled altogether.”