'My daughter is stuck at college due to bus cuts'

A mother has spoken out against cutbacks to a rural bus timetable, which she says has left her teenage daughter reliant on family for school transport.

The number 33 service run by Arriva, which travels between Milton Keynes and Northampton, was reduced from hourly to every two hours earlier this month due to funding cuts.

Suzi Stocker, from Hartwell near Northampton, said it meant her 16-year-old could not make the 13-mile journey home by bus.

"My daughter is really angry because her independence is now gone," said the 50-year-old.

"This has forced [different family members] to pick her up at different times."

A petition has been launched, calling on West Northamptonshire Council to improve rural bus services in the area.

People from the Hartwell, Ashton, Roade, Quinton and Wootton areas say that without a suitable bus service, they are not easily able to access schools, colleges and employment.

Mrs Stocker added: "Buses in rural areas are a necessity, especially for young people who can't drive and older people who no longer drive."

The college did offer a taxi service for Mrs Stocker's daughter but, at a cost of £600 a year, the family refused.

She said the council had a duty of care to take her daughter to college and back.

Lucy Wakelin, 42, also from Hartwell, shared a similar experience.

Her son, who attends Wootton High six-and-a-half miles away, now depends on family juggling work times for rides home after school, a situation she says is "unsustainable".

Ms Wakelin said: "It's a joke. My frustration is the villages are completely reliant on this one service, and we're at their mercy.

"They've cut the key times that the community depends on. It's so wrong."

She added: "A proper consultation is needed. I see the [number 33] bus running during the day, and it's empty."

Phil Larratt, the council's cabinet member for highways and transport, said “The 33 bus service is operated by Arriva in contract with Milton Keynes City Council.

"West Northamptonshire Council contributes to the service but is not the owner of the contract.

"We will be carrying out a review into public transport need within the area and will be exploring options to mitigate some of the issues raised by residents early next year."

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