By Martin Walker
Phil Wilson has called for bus company Arriva to reinstate a service after dozens of villagers near Newton Aycliffe have been left isolated by its axing.
Around a hundred residents of Brafferton, more than half of which are aged over 60, have signed the petition over the loss of the number 5a service.
The regular bus would run between Newton Aycliffe and Darlington, taking a two-minute, one-mile detour through Brafferton and back on to the A167 near Coatham Mundeville.
Arriva axed the service in January this year after the subsidy provided by Darlington Borough Council was withdrawn due to budget cuts.
Since then, residents have been left with a three-quarters of a mile walk along an unlit country road to their nearest bus stop in Coatham.
It’s believed Arriva have saved just £4,000 a year by cutting the detour out of the 5a service.
And Mr Wilson, MP for Sedgefield, is arguing that, despite Darlington Council having to save £22m over the next four years, Arriva owe it to local residents after making millions of pounds from local authority subsidies over the years.
“I know times are very hard at the moment, but Arriva have taken so much from these remote villages and I think it is about time they gave something back,” he told Aycliffe Today.
CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR VIDEO FEATURE
“The public sector is taking the risk, and the private sector is taking the profit.
“We are supposed to be in this together, in these hard times, and it’s time they gave something back to the community by at least running a service on a morning and an afternoon, so people can at least get to where they want to be.”
Resident Alison Firby, pictured above with Mr Wilson, said as about half the villagers were aged over 60 years, many of whom do not drive, bus services were vital.
“It’s removed the independence of several elderly residents completely, to the point they get really quite distressed,” she said.
“We have to walk up and down steep hills with no footpath and no street lighting now.
“Some of the residents have small children while others are very old and cannot physically make the journey.
“One elderly resident walked to the bus stop by holding onto trees and fence posts. When she finally reached Darlington she broke down into tears and said she couldn’t carry on making the journey anymore.”
Arriva have defended the move, saying financial pressures had left it no choice.
Nick Knox, area managing director for Arriva North East, told the Northern Echo: “The number of passengers making the journey was very low which meant that continuation of the service has not been viable without continuing financial support.”
Mr Wilson, pictured below with villagers inside the unused bus shelter, will hand the petition into parliament on Tuesday.
