Written evidence from Mr and Mrs Banks
BUS (110)
WITHDRAWAL OF BUS SUBSIDIES - HARTLEPOOL
BOROUGH COUNCIL
We are writing to you as residents of Elwick Village
which is approximately 4 miles from Hartlepool in the North East
of England. We understand from our local MP, Iain Wright that
you are currently seeking evidence of the effects which cuts in
public subsidies have had on bus services and, therefore, on local
communities. The answer is significant.
As part of its arrangements to reduce spending, Hartlepool
Borough Council took a unilateral decision to end all subsidy
for bus services within the Borough irrespective of the different
effects it would have on the residents. Elwick is a community
of some 600 people which, in keeping with many other similar communities,
has an increasingly aging population. It has a sheltered housing
scheme which, by definition, is populated by older, often more
infirm residents, a significant proportion of whom were, and still
are, dependent on public transport. We are aware personally of
a number of elderly widows who used to rely on their husbands
to drive them and who became dependent on the bus service. Many
of these people are pensioners in receipt of state pension who
simply cannot afford the £10 return taxi fare but need to
go to town to access essential services. Apart from a small village
shop, we do not have any services in or near the village such
as doctors or dentists. Consequently transport to and from these
essential services is vital.
What has so dismayed the village is the arbitrary
way in which the local authority totally withdrew its subsidy
without, it seems, any consideration of the effects such a decision
would have. It then had the audacity to blame the whole problem
on "greedy bus companies" and seemed incapable of coming
up with any viable options. We all accept that it would have been
impossible, given the extent of spending reductions, to maintain
the previous service, nor would we necessarily want that. However,
the provision of a skeleton service on, say three days a week
with one return bus in the morning and afternoon would at least
have given those vulnerable people in the village an affordable
means of accessing services so many take for granted. As of 26
March we have nothing!
April 2011
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