3rd February 2012

WINSHAM: Another village facing bus cuts

By Marion Draper

FOLLOWING on from the protest over cuts in the Merriott bus service, Winsham villagers banded to together to add their objections last Friday and made a formal protest at the bus stop.

The bus that currently passes through the village every two hours except on Sundays, from 7.15am until 6.15pm, is actually part of the same service being cut from Merriott and being even further from vital services the residents fear isolation.

When MP David Laws arrived, he was surrounded by the angry and distressed villagers of all ages, some of whom were waiting for the bus that morning to get to the doctors’ surgery in Chard.

Shirley Stone of Davies Close complained: “The Government want people to give up their cars and it wasn’t that long ago they were all wanting us to use public transport. My husband has just been diagnosed with heart trouble and I can’t drive, he needs to get to the doctor’s and we can’t afford to shell out for a taxi.”

David and Angela Fry said:“It costs £20 to get to Chard by taxi, what happens if you don’t have a car? We do have our village shop but it can’t stock everything. The service we have now is very reliable and once you get to Chard you have a 20 minute wait to get another to Taunton.”

Parish councillor Trish Baxter said:“ It was the way they sneaked it in after Christmas with a tiny poster in the New Year and a cut-off date of January 17th that has got us really angry and Winsham is a large village. How are people supposed to get to work or the doctors and dentists. The county council say we should use the Slinky bus but if you book three weeks ahead, you might be in with a chance. They spent all that money on the park and ride in Taunton and want to take our bus away.

“The 99 service could come through Clapton and Winsham instead of just going over Windwhistle. They said they can’t do the turn from Clapton but they go into Severalls in Crewkerne alright . That would be a good alternative and would increase traffic.

“Most of us would be willing to pay 50p a trip if it meant we kept our bus.”

Mr Laws said David Cameron had made an election promise not to change the bus pass system so they couldn’t go back on that by charging 50p to bus pass holders. He recommended they get as many signatures as possible on a petition which he was happy to take to the county council on their behalf.

PICTURE: DON’T TAKE OUR FREEDOM - David Laws MP and residents of Winsham objecting to county council bus cuts

WINSHAM: Another village facing bus cuts

WINSHAM: Another village facing bus cuts

Comments

Add new comment