Campaigners are “over the moon” after a bus company bowed to people pressure and reintroduced a previously scrapped service.
Hundreds of passengers – led by Carol Hudson and her granddaughter Daisy – took their fight to Brylaine to get their early morning Into Town service reinstated.
Brylaine scrapped its 7.30am and 8.30am buses from the Wygate Park route earlier this year, stating traffic congestion was making it difficult for buses to meet strict timetable targets.
Carol claimed the loss of the service meant the earliest bus was not suitable for those needing to get into town for work and said the earliest bus had become overcrowded.
She said many elderly passengers – some in their 80s and 90s – were being forced to stand in the aisles and risk falling and injuring themselves.
But after Carol started a petition – now standing at more than 800 signatures – and got the backing of district and county councillor Angela Newton, the bus company has agreed to reintroduce a 7.45am bus from Wygate Park, which will then move on to the 8.15am departure on the Queen’s Road route to cover the schools on Halmergate and Stonegate.
For now the new service will only operate on school days.
Coun Newton, who brokered a county council subsidy for the service, said: “I am pleased to say that I have heard from Chris Briggs, head of transportation at Lincolnshire County Council, who has told me that after talks with Brylaine it has been agreed the council will subsidise one service until the end of the financial year when budgets will be reviewed.
“I am really pleased to be able to get a result, especially for the people in my ward who have been inconvenienced by the withdrawal of the early service.”
In announcing the new deal, bosses at Brylaine thanked Carol and Daisy for their “sterling work” in rectifying the situation.
Malcolm Wheatley, operations director, said: “Although this support from the county council is only temporary it will give us further opportunity to explore other avenues of support in the belief that our authorities now realise the importance of these services to the local population.”
Carol (67), of Hawthorn Bank, Spalding, said: “We are just delighted by this news – over the moon and overwhelmed.
“When I first spoke to Brylaine I was told that they thought I was fighting a losing battle but I was determined to fight for people’s rights and I am just so happy that we have been successful.
“I am very grateful to Coun Newton for her suppport and to all those who helped collect signatures on the petition, including Ian Grant, and all those who signed it.”
