A CONCERNED councillor is fighting to have a weekend bus service reinstated because of fears it will leave elderly residents isolated.

The 37 bus, which runs between Worcester and Northwick via Ombersley Road, now does not run at all on a weekend after First Bus ended its Saturday service.

Councillor Mel Allcott, who represents Claines ward on Worcester City Council, said she was concerned the ending of the weekend service would leave a lot of vulnerable elderly residents and families isolated.

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Cllr Mel Allcott said: “My concern is mostly about the elderly people who don’t have a car or have given up their car and how isolated they would be by not having a bus to use at the weekend. There are many residents who have mobility issues and there are families who may not have a car and rely on the bus.

“There are also affordable homes on some of the new developments in and around Claines. These people might not have cars.

“The bus already doesn’t run on a Sunday or early in the morning or late in the evening.

“There has already been a climate emergency declared in the city and I feel that by cutting the bus service it is just pushing people into using their cars.

“Congestion is already bad enough in the city and this will only be adding to it. We should be encouraging people to use public transport. This is just putting them off.

“It is ridiculous that in 2019 we are in a situation where the people of Claines don’t have a proper bus service.”

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Cllr Allcott has so far gathered 1,000 signatures objecting to the ending of the service.

First Bus said not enough people were using the service to justify running it.

Nigel Eggleton, managing director at First Worcester said: “I can reassure our customers who use the 37 service that we have no plans to alter our weekday operation.

“In relation to the removal of our Sunday service and from this weekend the Saturday service, it was a difficult decision to make removing journeys on these days, but with very few people travelling and it only contributing to around 70 per cent of the cost to operate, it was not commercially viable without financial support.

“I am however liaising with Cllr Allcott and Worcestershire County Council to look at options for a replacement service on a Saturday.”

A public meeting will be held about the cuts to the bus service at Claines Church Hall in Cornmeadow Lane between 10am and 12pm on Sunday, November 3.