Petition Launched Against No 2 Bus Cuts

A petition has been launched to reverse changes to the No 2 bus route in Newbury after West Berkshire Council reduced the service that used to terminate at Pigeon's Farm.

It will no longer extend along Monks Lane for Tesco or Pigeon's Farm. The council says the No 8 now serves Pigeon's Farm to and from Tesco and extends to Newbury College.

"As a result of these changes there will be more service 2 journeys running between Wash Common and Newbury," said the council.

"The route changes have been introduced to improve overall punctuality and remove some poorly used sections of routes."

The petition says shortening the No 2 will leave residents along Monks Lane without a bus and hit mobility.

"It will also impact the mobility of Wash Common residents," it says,

"Many residents use the service to access the retail park and Tesco's.

"Residents that are unable to drive due to age, disability, or income will be isolated from accessing vital services.

"This change also stands in contrast to commitments to reduce car usage across the district.

"There is a large demand for this bus service, with a weekly patronage of 6,400.

"A drop in patronage will put further financial pressure on WBC."

The petition runs until the end of August and can be found on the council's ePetition page.

Niki Hinman, Local Democracy Reporter