Bus Cuts Having Major Effect

Elderly people on Market Harborough’s Southern Estate say the removal of the majority of the bus service is having a major effect on their lives.

Some have told Hfm they feel like prisoners in their own homes, as they can no longer travel to and from the town centre easily.

It’s just over six weeks since operator Arriva stopped serving the estate between between 10am and 4pm – with just a handful of buses in the morning and late afternoon.

These people spoke to Hfm:

A petition signed by over 200 people, calling for a lunchtime service to be introduced was handed to Arriva, who say the decision to remove off-peak journeys was due to a lack of passengers and it needs to ensure buses are in areas where there is greatest demand.

A Leicestershire County Council spokesperson said: “We’re aware of concerns relating to Arriva’s commercial decision to make changes to its X3 service and we have assessed the impacts of this change against our recently adopted passenger transport policy. As this service will continue to provide access to essential services in Harborough town centre, albeit on a less frequent basis, we would not look to subsidise any alternative provision. However, we’re currently exploring any possibilities for serving the southern estate as part of our wider review of contracted Harborough bus services, while Community Transport is available to any residents with mobility issues.”