Axed bus fear for villagers

Villagers in Essington fear they will be left "stranded" when a vital weekend bus service into Wolverhampton is axed.Essington's only public transport link to the city on a Saturday will be gone within weeks.

It comes months after villagers lost their only weekend bus service to Wednesfield. The Green Bus Company will be pulling the service, used by dozens of villagers each weekend, in February. Councillor David Clifft, chairman of Essington Parish Council, called it a "body blow".

"The bus company, based in Great Wyrley, has given the required notice of 13 weeks of its intention to withdraw its Saturday service to Wolverhampton in Essington.

"This means from February 2008 there will be no bus service in the village, which is yet another body blow to residents who rely on this vital service. For some residents, young and old, this service is a vital lifeline. The loss of a profound effect on the community."

He said the loss of the bus service meant villagers were more "cut off".

Campaigners are already fighting for the reinstatement of its only doctor's surgery and waiting for news of whether its post office will be shutting its doors.

"The parish council will be holding urgent talks with travel companies over the course of the next few weeks in order to see if the service can be replaced," he said.

"I will also be meeting with our MP Patrick Cormack in the next few days to discuss the outcome of a meeting with South Staffordshire Primary Trust regarding the doctor's surgery, and I will be raising the issue of Saturday bus service with him.

"Villages like Essington are becoming more and more remote and cut off. Not only are we in danger of losing the services inside our communities such as the post offices, it is now becoming impossible to access services outside of our communities for a group of people who do not have their own transport."