Residents 'desperate' for return of bus service

Residents are "desperate" to see a bus route reinstated following the collapse of its operator.

The Save The 300 Bus group is calling on East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward to restore the 300 bus route that linked villages between Lowdham and Newark in Nottinghamshire.

Community Transport for Nottingham (CT4N), which had run more than 20 routes including the 300 bus, said on 14 August that steps were being taken to place the firm formally into administration.

Sharon Murray, 70, from Bleasby, said she felt "like a prisoner" in her home after the loss of the bus.

Ward said: "We are continuing to work through the remaining affected routes, and people can be assured that we will share further updates on replacement services as soon as they are ready to come online."

Murray said she had spent £200 on taxis and train fares to the shops and to medical appointments in the past two weeks.

She said: "You don't want to keep relying on people: 'Can you give me a lift here; can you give me a lift there?'

"It takes your independence away.

"We need to get out to do our shopping, go to the surgeries.

"I have type two diabetes, so I have to go to Lowdham surgery to have a blood test every so often.

"You can't even get a loaf of bread and a pint of milk because we have got no shops here, there is nothing.

"We are desperate to get the 300 bus back."

Campaigners said they would be satisfied if the bus service returned for two days a week, rather than its previous three-day timetable.

Daphne Harbidge, 78, from nearby Caythorpe, said for some it was a mile and a half walk to the nearest 26 service stop from Bleasby, while it was a "long walk" to the train stop in the village.

She said: "It's taxis, relying on lifts from friends and family.

"If you are in a family with no cars you are absolutely sunk."

Roger Jacklin, 78, said: "There's quite a portion of us now for one reason or another that can't drive or don't drive, who need things like that.

"I do miss it because it was just very handy to nip to Southwell, get a few bits or pieces if I needed any shopping."

Several routes run by CT4N have been replaced by other operators since it went into administration.

One of its services, the L2 Local Link from Nottingham to Assarts Farm, will be replaced from 1 September by an extension to Nottingham City Transport's (NCT's) Turquoise 78 from Strelley.

On the same day, NCT will begin a full 18 timetable including the 18A, 18B and 18X routes.

It took over the basic 18 service between Nottingham and Stapleford three days after CT4N ceased running.

NCT will then extend the Turquoise 78 again from 28 September to run to Phoenix Park.

Kinchbus has resumed CT4N's 66 between Sutton Bonington and Loughborough, while Littles Travel is running the 29 service between Long Eaton and Sandiacre, the 510 serving Beeston, Toton, Attenborough and Stapleford, and the 511 circular Stapleford service.

All other CT4N bus routes are being reviewed to see if replacement services can be brought in, the East Midlands mayor's office added.

Additional reporting from Ben Carr

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