Bus Cuts Affecting Havant/Wecock Farm Service

10.50.10pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 14th Aug 2007

Liz Leffman, Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Meon Valley, has labelled the announcement of proposed bus cuts on the No 39 Havant to Wecock Farm service "extremely detrimental" to residents.

Although temporary reprieves have been granted for four services - 69 Winchester/Bishops Waltham/Fareham, 88 Gosport to Fareham, 34 Fareham to Gosport, 31 Havant to Hayling - little has been said or done to emphasise how big an impact cuts to services for residents of the Wecock housing estate will be.

Proposed service cuts on the No 39 include Sundays (early morning and evening) and weekday evenings, while another of Liz's prospective Meon Valley constituency services - the number 45 Portsmouth/Cosham/Hambledon - also faces the same fate.

"Even though agreed cuts will be reviewed, little consideration has been taken with regards to the effects of cuts to the No 39 route or the extremely detrimental effects service cutting will have on Wecock people in general," Liz said.

"Wecock Farm is the best served bus stop in the area, being around 1.2 km from local shops at Milton Road (Havant), 1.3 km from Junior/Infant schools, 1.6 km to the local secondary school and about 3 km from a superstore and employment area.

"Although the Conservative-run Hampshire County Council point to 'rationalisation on services which are less likely to affect people's essential journeys', it is unfair to suggest they know when someone needs to make an 'essential' trip.

She added: "People rely on bus services to live out their daily lives, but even this may be forced out of their hands. I feel it necessary to speak out for these residents, residents with voices and concerns that are rarely heard above a mass of conceited bureaucracy."