Woman, 81, struggles to walk into town after Winsford bus is axed

An 81-year-old woman now struggles to walk to the town centre three times a week to do her shopping.

Her friends aged 70, 80 and 91 face the same 30-minute hike each way since the 31a Arriva service was suddenly taken off the road.

"I have lived here since I was a child and this is the first time we've never had a bus," said the woman who lives in Townfield Road.

"I have to walk because taxis are too expensive. I have a stick and knee supports. Coming home it is uphill so it takes me a bit longer.

"I used to go twice a week on the bus but now I have to go three times because my shopping is too heavy to carry."

The elderly ladies fear the dark days and cold weather as winter draws in.

"If the snow starts coming it will be bad," said the spinster. "We are all pensioners and have a bus pass but we can't use it.

"They have also put up two new bus shelters at the top of Dene Drive which have never been used because we haven't got a bus. It is ridiculous."

Residents on the Dene estate say scrapping the bus means they have been left without any public transport to Leighton Hospital.

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Independent Cllr Mike Kennedy, said: "To cut off a lifeline that serves an entire estate is unbelievable.

"We're getting another 200 houses here, it is a densely populated area. I live on the estate. It's deplorable that Arriva can't even provide a bus to Leighton Hospital."

Cllr Kennedy, awaiting spinal surgery, relied on the bus when his car was off the road.

"I had to go to the hospital five times a week for treatment and would have been lost without this bus,"he said.

The hourly bus service suddenly stopped running without any announcement.

Arriva has introduced an additional half hourly 31 service.

"This is no good to us," said the aggrieved 81-year-old woman. "It follows a completely different route and goes nowhere near where we live."

Cllr Malcolm Gaskill has been lobbying Arriva to improve the bus service in Winsford for several years and has raised this latest complaint.

Cllr Malcolm Gaskill has been lobbying Arriva to improve the bus service in Winsford for several years

The Liberal Democrat had been reassured by company bosses that issues raised by infuriated passengers will be addressed.

A spokesman for Arriva said: "During the Covid-19 crisis, we had reduced the service provision of the 31, alongside a number of other services, in line with passenger demand.

"We’re continually reviewing all services and timetables, particularly those which were subject to a Covid-19 related reduction. The 31 is one of these services under review and we hope to be able to provide information to customers in the coming weeks on an increased timetable."