Wirral's independent local news website
Liberal Democrat campaigner, Lucy Johnson, has criticised the poor publicity over the reduction of three vital Heswall bus services to one bus every two hours.
“Some elderly passengers were left stranded when their regular bus failed to turn up,” Lucy Johnson said.
Although buses started running to the new timetable this morning, timetables at the bus stops had still not been updated.
“The three routes – the 174, 175 and 181 – are operated by A2B, who took over four routes serving other parts of Wirral this week,” Lucy Johnson said. “But they have told us that they have been unable to recruit enough extra drivers to cover all their routes, so Heswall and Pensby services have lost out.
“If A2B didn’t have the capacity to take on these new routes, you have to ask whether it was responsible to bid for the contracts. The result is that residents in Heswall and Pensby who rely on these local services are being left with 50% fewer buses.
“The drivers know most of the regular passengers, who depend on this friendly bus service. It is vital that this lifeline is restored to an hourly service as soon as possible, but A2B have said it could take anything between one and three months to recruit and train new drivers.”
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