Couple feel 'like prisoners' after bus service loss

A couple have said they feel like "prisoners in their own home" following the closure of a bus company in Nottinghamshire.

Community Transport for Nottingham (CT4N) announced it would cease trading with immediate effect on Friday due to rising costs.

Sharon Murray and her wife Valerie Duncan, from Bleasby, relied on the 300 service operated by the firm to travel to nearby towns for shopping and medical appointments.

"All this has done is put our village in total isolation," said Valerie.

The 300 service, which ran between Lowdham and Newark, stopped near Sharon and Valerie's home three days a week.

Without it, the couple said they were struggling to access essential amenities.

Valerie, who is sight impaired, relies on regular transport to Newark and Southwell for hospital appointments and to collect prescriptions.

She said: "We're not able to get to the shops or get to the surgery.

"I need to go to Newark Hospital every four to six weeks to have injections in my eyes. Without the bus, I'm absolutely stuffed.

"You have lonely and infirm people who rely on the bus as a vital social lifeline. We all know what isolation does to vulnerable people."

The 82-year-old said the loss of the service risks leaving older residents increasingly isolated.

"It's rather like being prisoners in your own home because you can't go anywhere," she added.

"I can't even go to the bank. I like to withdraw cash in person because I'm sight impaired.

"It was something that gave us continuity in the way that we live."

Sharon said she had been left stressed and angry by the sudden loss of what she described as a vital service.

The 70-year-old said: "This bus is vital and we need it back. We'd be very happy for any bus company to take over the route.

"We're stressed about it all and angry about the way it was done.

"I got the bus to Lowdham to collect my medication as normal and then saw the news on Facebook that afternoon. My heart dropped.

"All we have is a pub and a cemetery. The nearest supermarket is in Southwell or Newark, so how am I supposed to get food and other supplies?

"I don't like having to keep asking people for lifts, and taxis are too expensive."

CT4N said rising fuel, insurance, maintenance and employment costs, combined with regulatory pressures affecting its operations, placed "significant strain" on its financial and operational viability.

The sudden closure of its 22 services has affected communities across Nottinghamshire.

Christine Alton, 78, from Sherwood Vale, Nottingham, said the loss of the number 19 bus, which operated between Bulwell and Sherwood, would make it harder to attend important hospital appointments.

"It's absolutely awful," she added.

"I'm lucky to have a husband who can help me. I've had major knee surgery and still need another operation, so I'm going to be incapacitated for quite a while.

"Even without my medical problems, it's not easy. We live on a hill and the nearest bus stop is either up or down a steep slope. It's been devastating. At the moment, we can't get anywhere without using taxis."

Meanwhile, bus driver Michael O'Crowley, from Calverton, said he discovered he had lost his job through an email.

The former serviceman spent 27 years driving buses and had hoped to continue working beyond his 76th birthday.

He said: "I'm not happy at all. I was planning to carry on for a couple more years.

"It was part of my routine. I enjoyed meeting people and I'm disappointed I didn't get the chance to say goodbye to my regular passengers."

East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward said the closure was "worrying for passengers", adding work was ongoing to find replacement operators and maintain services.

The East Midlands Combined County Authority confirmed Kinchbus would take over the 66 service between the University of Nottingham's Sutton Bonington campus and Loughborough from 24 August. The route will run at peak times only, replacing the previous all-day service.

Ward added that CT4N's 18 and 66 services had been covered, with more expected from 1 September.

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