I SIT on the Transport Group for Newnham's Parish Plan

and have been campaigning for better bus services for

some time. Everyone awaits announcements from county

regarding cuts to bus services in the Forest, especially the

small hopper buses.  These are  literally a lifeline and

service scattered hamlets and otherwise isolated areas.

May I draw attention to the letter below and ask

pensioners who want to retain the right to travel between

9am - 11am to respond to Gloucestershire County

Council on the contacts below?  

make changes in when people can use concessionary bus

passes, which will affect older people in Gloucestershire.

'In brief, from April next year Gloucestershire County

Council will take over responsibility from the district

councils to provide concessionary fares travel in

Gloucestershire for people of pensionable age or

disabled. At the moment travel with a concessionary pass

in Gloucestershire is from 9am to 11pm and all day on

weekends and bank holidays, and all day in the Stroud

District.

'The new scheme proposes to change the start time

to 9.30am.

'This change in start time will affect many people of

pensionable age with concessionary passes who currently

use the bus services between 9.00 and 9.30 to travel into

Gloucester or Cheltenham for appointments, to meet up

with family, and other purposes. For example, currently

there are services which leave between 9.00 and 9.30 to

Gloucester from Stroud, Dursley, Cinderford, Newent,

Coleford, Tewkesbury, and Nailsworth; and to Cheltenham

from Stroud, Tewkesbury, Wynchcombe, Northleach, and

Nailsworth, to mention but a few. With the new time of

9.30 these services would not be available.

'Presumably these changes are linked to the county

council's overall financial cuts, but a check on the number

of fare paying passengers on our local service from

Newent to Gloucester at 9.25 indicated that there would

be no savings to the council and it would inconvenience

many pensioners. I suspect that this would be the same

for other towns and villages.

'If you also wish to mention your concerns and views

personally or on behalf of the organisation, Alan Barrett is

part of the consultation process at County Hall and he is

on 01452 425343.

'Gloucestershire County Council are doing a

consultation on their proposed changes, and they have

details at http://

online questionnaire to express your views at http://ww5">http://ww5.

gloucestershire.gov.uk/surveys/Concessionary_Fares.'

– Sue Dubois (non-driver).