Bus route change deprives villagers of 'lifeline'

An elderly man who used to travel by bus several times a week said he was no longer able to because of a route change.

The Stagecoach 56 route in Manea, Cambridgeshire was altered to improve service punctuality as nearly half of buses were not running on time.

George Brown, 92, said: "I have had a hip operation which makes it hard to walk. The old bus stop was just at the top of the road but now it's too far."

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority insisted it was "not feasible" to restore the route at this time and said the village was still covered by a bus request service.

Instead of stopping at Westfield Road in the village, the service now terminates outside the Rose and Crown pub, leaving some passengers with a mile-long walk (1.6km).

The authority said passenger numbers were lower in the part of the village the bus no longer covered.

Mr Brown, who has lived in the same house for 60 years, gave up driving at the age of 80 and said he was now forced to spend more time indoors.

"I used to go out three times a week to visit March for shopping and take a trip to Wisbech on a Saturday," he said.

Villagers can use an app to book a pick-up using the authority-funded Tiger on Demand bus service but Mr Brown said he did not own a smartphone or computer.

Manea Parish and Fenland district councillor Charlie Marks was disappointed by the change.

He said: "No consultation has taken place with villagers, who are the ultimate losers again, especially those who rely on this service as their lifeline to and from the village."

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough mayor Dr Nick Johnson told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire he was "keen to visit Manea and ride on a Tiger on Demand bus... to show the community how the service can work".

A spokesperson for the combined authority said: "We will be reviewing the impact of the route change on punctuality and gathering further feedback from passengers to assess next steps."

It added the new Tiger 7 service was due to launch within weeks, linking Manea with Chatteris, Wisbech, and Manea rail station.

Stagecoach has been approached for comment.

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