Village missing out on bus due to safety concerns
ArrivaA bus company says an unsafe road exit means it cannot run a direct service from a village.
Lazenby, in East Cleveland, has been without a bus for a number of years, to the annoyance of some villagers.
Arriva North East said a central refuge used to exit the village westbound onto the A174 was not big enough for its buses to use without overhanging into the busy carriageway.
But said it was open to further discussions about a possible solution.
The Tees Valley Combined Authority, which funds highways improvements and subsidises some rural bus services, has said there are no current proposals to alter the exit.
It recently said it was aware of safety issues expressed by Conservative councillor Stephen Martin, and those might be given further consideration in potential future projects, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
No solution yet
Martin, councillor for Eston, said he had pledged to residents to help restore a bus to the village.
"Arriva have no qualms about coming into the village and exiting near Wilton to get to Redcar, but they want to do a full circle coming back in the other direction coming from Redcar towards Eston," Martin said.
He suggested smaller buses could be used, if available.
"There are a lot of elderly residents and they currently have to walk to Wilton or Lackenby to get a bus," Martin said.
A spokesperson for Arriva North East said the company had considered reintroducing the bus service, "however, the safety of our staff and customers must come first".
"We've discussed potential alternatives with local authorities, but a solution has not yet been found," they said.
They added Arriva remained open to further discussions to "improve access in future".