A WELLAND mother has written a letter to the Observer expressing her major concerns following bus provider First Group’s announcement it will no longer run services to some Malvern villages from Sunday, April 10.
The 41-year-old reveals in the letter how the changes may mean her young teenage daughter may have to leave her job in Malvern as there will no way for her to get to work.
The letter reads:
AFTER attending the Welland village meeting regarding the bus services that are to be reduced as of April 10, the following are my concerns:
I have an 18-year-old daughter who doesn’t drive and attends college in Worcester and catches the train from Great Malvern. She also has a job in Malvern and will not be able to get to work, she is going to have to hand her notice in. I work full time and unable to take her.
The train companies will lose out on money and local people from the rural villages that work in Malvern that are unable to drive will have to leave their jobs. They will have to claim benefits in an environment when we are struggling to keep up with the ever expanding economy.
The NHS has recently invested in a community hospital costing 22 million, local people of Malvern and local villages use the excellent service that they provide to reduce waiting lists at the ever struggling Worcestershire Royal. How are local residents meant to use the local hospital provided when there will be no public service to the community hospital, they will have to ask for ambulance services putting an extra strain on the already tight budget that the hospitals face.
I was unable to drive over the Christmas period due to extensive surgery and for me to get a taxi it cost me £12 each way. For those on a pension or a low income how are these people expected to pay for these services?
My children have always got the local bus during the school holidays to use the Malvern Splash and the theatre, this has now been taken away from them, what are the children meant to do in the school holidays?
If the bus service is not re considered I am really going to have to think about selling my house and move in to the city. My concerns are that I will have to advertise that the public transport is dramatically reduced; will this affect my selling price?
Stopping the bus service is dramatically going to change people’s lives in rural areas. I worry about the elderly that just simply pop to Malvern to catch up with friends for a tea or coffee and a trip to Morrison’s really is their only lifeline to talk to people.
I really do hope that the bus service is re-considered.
Emma Dauncey,
Picture – Gavin Spencer (www.freeimages.com)
