That they are cancelling my bus and I am really pissed off

[RedBlu]

We moved to this area last year, it's sort of semi rural but I ensured before moving here it had a good bus route as I work in the city and I don't drive.

Been using the bus service for months with no issues and then today, look in the local paper and the bus company are going to stop serving our area as its not "viable".

I am FUMING! They will be going as far as the next village, which is a 15 minute walk. Not an issue in the summer months, but now it's getting cold, dark and wet, it's not something I want to do.

There is a train station a bit closer but I can't afford it, even buying yearly pass through work would mean paying back £90 a month.

I am currently paying the bus company £45!

I am actually really upset about it as its has totally fucked me up as I don't know what to do. Obviously walking is the only option it maybe getting a bike and cycling to the next village.

Either way, I am really fed up. I know I should learn to drive, but it's expensive and I don't have the spare money to spend on it at the moment.

Ta1kinPeace completely agree, I'm so jealous of london transport, when people in cities complain about fares, routres and prices I often think they have no idea what it's like in the real world! For instance where |I live nigh on all available work is shift work in the nearest alrge town, and there is no buis service back from that town at all after half six in the evening, and nothing anyone can do about it.

I would be fuming too if this happened. Like you I don't drive, have moved out of the city and purposely chose this house as it's near the bus stop. I know it's only 15 minutes and there are lots of reasons why that's not the end of the world but I would still be fuming.

First Buses are cancelling 3 seperate routes in my area with six weeks notice. Im not affected as i walk but other ppl will be. First say its because hardly anyone uses it CRAP! We used to have a bus every half hour for years (ive been living on this particular housing estate since 1994. 4 and a half years ago they changed it to one an hour. They often wouldnt turn up at all. The service has been run into the ground deliberately.

My mum moved to a Norfolk town from London and was a little bit shocked there was no bus on Sunday and that there may only be one bus in the afternoon back from the next town. However she could go anywhere in the town by cab for £3 which was almost cheaper than the bus.

FWIW I live on the borders of London I have a 25 min walk to the station then a 10 minute walk the other end, and to get a bus into london i have to walk 25 minutes, but for the £45 extra the OP says it would cost (£2 a day), i would get the train rather than the long bus journey she is doing now.

I can't understand why people are failing to realise that the logistics of walking in rural areas can be completely different to an urban area. When I lived in London I happily walked or cycled to work. However, I would not willingly walk or cycle along our village roads after dark.

We have one bus stop with buses that run four times a day. Unless you live in the centre of the village (as I do) you have to walk on unlit roads with no pavements and no verge. In the winter you would be walking in the dark. Houses are set far back from the road and there are large gaps between houses so in places you would be walking past fields (quite eerie and scary if you are on your own). In winter the roads are often icy or partially flooded (or sometimes completed flooded). In winter the bus often fails to turn up - if the 7 40 bus ( the first bus of the day) does not turn up, there is not another bus til 9 40. There is no mobile signal in the village, so children who do not attend the schools with school buses are often stranded at the bus stop wondering what to do. DD often did not get to school til 10 30 because I'd gone to work and the bus had not turned up. People drive their children to the bus stop because it is not safe for them to walk.

There are many benefits to rural life but transport is a major problem for anyone who is not able to drive for whatever reason.

The bigger issue is
Why was deregulation right for the rest of the country but not for London
simple answer
regulation in London has worked
deregulation has been a disaster
SO
Time to level the playing field and
either
bring Chaos to London
or
order to the rest of the country

hear hear.

And a hear hear from me too.

I grew up in a city with excellent public transport, but that all finished in 1986 with deregulation. Londoners do very well with their public transport. If you only have a couple of people on a rural bus service, those two people need that bus.

I feel for you. They keep changing my service too. I use to have to get to work for 630in the morning. Now there are no buses till 6 ( week day ! Don't get me started on weekends!) and it takes an hour on the bus anyway!
That early bus always had loads of people on.
When i go back to work it will be earlies as im knakered by evening.
If i could drive i would.
No chance of walking for me ( no where to Walk to!) and i have disabilities.
I used to have to walk 15 minutes across the town to work ehen i got off my first bus, as they stopped my second bus so i was in agony before i even started work.
I don't think they even think about people.

For those of you saying I am being lazy not walking 15 minutes, I have already stated, the walk would not be an issue in the nicer months! It's nothing to do with being lazy.

The issue is, in the winter months when it's cold, wet and dark, it's not a safe route.

I have been speaking to our local council who had no idea this was happening so are challenging it, not just on the basis for commuters but for the elderly who rely on the service to get to and from the doctors. Also turns out, the other service provider that served here has cut their service completely, so there will be one bus service here which has really crap times and poor reviews for reliability.

I am going to have to book some driving lessons but that obviously isn't going to be a quick process. So I will have to rely on the crappy service or walk into the village until I can get something more reliable sorted.

Op i do not think you are lazy at all.
I really only hear people talking like this on here!
Even if i didn't have health problems i wouldn't like walking 15minutes in the cold, rain, dark after a long day at work, on an unsafe route!