Bristol residents 'may have to move' after First Bus loss

Residents of a city suburb say they may have to consider moving after their bus service was withdrawn.

People living in Ashton Vale in Bristol lost the number 23 bus when it was withdrawn earlier this month.

First Bus, which ran it, said the service was stopped because of low passenger numbers.

But guide dog user Stephen White said he had moved to the area because of the bus connection to the city centre, and losing it had "changed his life".

"I moved down here four years ago because of my blindness with my guide dog, and there's good access to the city centre," he added.

"I use the bus every day and all of a sudden they've just decided to take it off, and I don't think it's fair on the community.

"It alters your life altogether. You've got no confidence. It just totally changes your life," Mr White said.

Kim Shepherd, who is disabled, says she struggles to walk the more than half a mile journey to find an alternative bus.

"It is hard, because I have breathing difficulties and I've got thyroid problems," she said.

"I have to walk in the road because the pavements are too slanted for me. It is very hard to get out and about," she added.

The many bungalows of Ashton Vale have proved popular with the elderly and disabled such as Jane Caines, who said she had relied heavily on the hourly service the 23 provided.

Now, she says, she may have to leave the area.

"I came here nine years ago for my bungalow and the bus, because I've got breathing difficulties," she said.

"Now we have got actually nothing. I'm thinking of moving because I can't walk all the time to The Robins [a local pub and community hub] because I get out of breath.

"I'm just thinking about all these bungalows and the disabled people who can't get their only bus to work."

Mrs Caines has organised protest meetings, which Tessa Fitzjohn, the Green Party member for Bedminster, has attended.

Ms Fitzjohn said: "The stories that people have been telling me - honestly it's heart-breaking at times.

"It just feels like they are really using their public transport here. They're a very close community, many of them are disabled, many of them are in their 50s, 60s, 70s.

"This isn't a wealthy community and they need better, they need a decent bus service - it's the least we can do."

In a statement First Bus, which ran the 23, said the service had been in decline for the past few years.

"Without financial support from the combined authority, we've had to make the difficult decision to withdraw it from service due to a combination of very low patronage and rising costs."

By financial support, First means a subsidy from the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) but money for that has been in short supply, resulting in the loss of many other bus services around the west of England.

Some major routes in Bristol have seen extra services added in April, and a called West Link has started to operate.

As for alternative services for the residents of Ashton Vale, First pointed to the nearby M2 Metrobus, which runs from Long Ashton into the centre of Bristol, but local resident Linda Hunt said walking there was not realistic for many.

"They say we've got the M2, but you've got to get there first, and it's terrible to get there," she said.

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