Residents fear being stranded as bus cut looms

A man said he will feel isolated when a "lifeline" bus service ends next month in his town.

David Buchanan, 62, from Littleport, Cambridgeshire, said he relied on the Stagecoach East route number nine bus service, which links the town to Ely and Cambridge.

The operator is due to cut the service, along with a number of others in the county, on 31 August after it said not enough people used the route.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority said Conservative Mayor Paul Bristow "shares the concerns" and was "exploring options".

A spokesperson added the authority has already stepped up to fund parts of the routes under threat.

Earlier this year, Stagecoach East said: "The timetabled part of this service, which is operated by Stagecoach East, will be passed over to the [Combined Authority] in order for them to find another operator to run this service."

Stagecoach East added that cuts and changes to services in the county were necessary "to keep the local bus network viable after the rise in National Insurance increased annual costs by £1m per year, putting the cost of provision up for those services already struggling to cover their cost of operation".

Mr Buchanan said: "If it stops, I really will be stuck. I'd describe it as a lifeline for most people that use it.

"Unless you can walk the mile or so to the railway station, the bus is the only connection we've got with the outside world."

Juliet Carter, 44, who also lives in Littleport, said she would be "really disappointed" if the service was cut as the train to Cambridge was "double the price".

Wendy Oxley, who said she was "getting on in years a bit", said she used the bus about twice a week to meet her friends in Ely.

"I'd say 75% to 80% of the time [the bus] is pretty full," she said.

For health reasons she said she could not get to the train station and had stopped driving two years ago.

Ms Oxley also praised bus travel for its ability to bring people together.

"I've found, since using the bus, I end up chatting with people and having nice conversations and finding out stuff that applies locally," she said.

A spokesperson for the Combined Authority said: "The mayor shares the concerns of local residents, following Stagecoach's decision to withdraw from the number nine service.

"He has been actively working with officials and others to explore options on both the nine and 31 routes.

"There is a Combined Authority Board meeting next week, where action on these services can be discussed. He expects to be able to say more imminently."

Stagecoach East did not respond to a request from the BBC to comment.

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