Further bus cut blow for village without rush hour service

Residents in the Leicestershire village where no buses will stop for 90 minutes during rush hour have been dealt a further blow after it was revealed another service will be withdrawn next month.

The 159 service from Coalville to Hinckley is run by Roberts Coaches and subsidised by Leicestershire County Council .

Soon after finding out that Arriva were cutting down services, meaning that there will be no bus to Leicester for 90 minutes during the morning rush hour, villagers found out that the 159 service will pick up its last passengers on December 22.

Newbold Parish Council chairman Joyce Crooks said: “If the 159 goes it’s not just Newbold Verdon but several other villages along the route that will have no other service.

“There are so many people that use it I really can’t understand why it is being withdrawn.

“There are people who use it to get to and from work, there are students that use it to get to Hinckley to the college, there are people that go and shop and socialise in Coalville.

“A lot of people will be stuck without this service.

“The rural areas are being ignored and left behind by these changes, you go into Leicester and there are so many buses taking people to and from other parts in the city but the options are so limited further afield.

“The government want us to stop using cars and use public transport but there isn’t any.”

Roberts Coaches who provide the service have said the service is no longer financially viable.

The bus picks up and drops off passengers in Hugglescote, Ellistown, Barlestone, Ibstock, Market Bosworth, Stapleton and Barwell en route to Hinckley.

David Wood, compliance manager at Roberts Coaches, said: “We have alerted the county council to the ending of the 159 on December 22 and they are currently considering options around replacements.

“Despite making changes and increasing fares, the service is no longer commercially viable and we cannot afford to continue running it at a loss.

“We are thanking our customers for using the service and apologising for any inconvenience this may cause.”

Jennifer Collins who lives in Newbold Verdon, is concerned about the changes to the 153 Arriva service meaning there will be no bus for 90 minutes in the morning and the loss of the 159 service.

She added: “To have one service cut right down is one thing but to lose another completely just a couple of weeks later is a huge blow for our community.

“We’ve started a petition to save both services and there are more than 2,000 signatures already between them.

“There are students in the village that go to colleges in both Coalville and Hinckley and they’ll be completely stuck without that bus.

“My neighbour’s son will have to get a bus at 6am to Leicester Forest East and then wait for another bus just to get to college.”

A Leicestershire County Council spokesperson said: “We are aware of the commercial decision taken by Roberts Coaches to withdraw its 159 bus service and we are currently assessing the impact of this move and considering future options.

“This type of scenario is one which the council is often faced with when bus operators withdraw services and our recently-agreed passenger transport policy and strategy will help us to decide if, and how, we will cost effectively meet essential travel needs in areas where the commercial market does not operate.”