Published: Sunday, 8th June, 2008 10:00
End of the road for free bus
By Ann-Marie Canavan
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RESIDENTS of Horton are to deprived of a free bus service. The Royal Borough announced the decision today, citing the lack of passengers using the Horton Link Service from the village as the reason for their scrapping of the service.
In the past month an average of only 1.6 passengers used the route every day, and the council says it can no longer justify the funding needed to maintain the direct link between Horton and Windsor via Datchet.
The free service was introduced after bus company First Group decided to re-route the number 60 – meaning it would no longer run through the village – from Terminal Five at Heathrow Airport and stops in places including Wraysbury, Datchet and Slough.
Many elderly people in the area were concerned that the bus stop on the edge of the village would be too far for them to walk, so the free service that stopped in the centre was ideal.
Eileen Coogan uses the service almost every day and is furious that the council has not even notified residents in the area.
Mrs Coogan said: “I didn’t even know they had decided to stop running the service.
“I’m very upset and appalled. It makes me so angry that they (the council) didn’t even have the decency to come and tell us.
“We are a small village and we don’t need a big bus, but we do need some way of getting around.
“They are just going to isolate people by stopping the service. How are those who are not so agile meant to walk half a mile to Welley Corner?”
However, ward councillor Colin Rayner says he has been left disappointed by the number of people using the service.
Cllr Rayner added: “We fought really hard to maintain this link and would have needed at least six passengers a day to justify keeping it on the road.
“It is currently costing around £40 per passenger journey and, since support has just not materialised despite our best efforts to promote it to local people, the council has no option but to withdraw the service.”
The last buses will run from Champney Hall at 10.15am today with the last bus from Windsor leaving at 1.15pm.
The 305 service provided by Ashford Luxury Coaches will be enhanced to include additional services in Horton, and the number 60 service will continue to operate seven days a week picking up Horton residents at a bus stop in Welley Corner.
Timetable information is available at bus stops.
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