THE elderly residents of Wynols Close sheltered bungalows at Broadwell have been stranded by a decision to stop running their local bus service.
The Coleford Town Link service was a lifeline to the 25 pensioner households said resident Bill Bracher, 74, who has just come home after a month in hospital having cancer treatment.
"It used to stop right here, in the close, starting at 9.15 after the school run," he said. "I was shocked when they told me – I used to be quite mobile but I was very ill before this treatment and had to sell my car.
"It is selfish in a way because I never thought of the problems other people had here until I needed help myself.
"We are a forgotten land out here. It was bad enough before – after Friday afternoon everybody here is shut in for the weekend.
"If we don't get the service back here 23 out of the 25 people living in the close will have to walk a quarter of a mile up to the main road to catch a bus. Many cannot do it – you would have to lay on a fleet of ambulances for when they get there!"
Mr Bracher said the Dukes bus called three times a day at the Close and was vital for old people who had town medical appointments as well as shopping needs.
He said there had been little notice of the impending closure other than a notice in the bus for a few days.
Now he and other residents have started a petition calling for reinstatement of the service which they will present to the council.
Gloucestershire County Council public transport department spokesman Peter Wintle said the Coleford Town Link service had been privately run and he understood the decision to close it had been commercial.
"We are investigating the situation and will see if we have to make good any shortfalls that are not covered."
He said he knew a petition was being prepared and this and other points of view would be taken into consideration.
Dukes had made no comment on the matter at the time of going to press.