Pupils as young as six could be walking to school along one of the busiest routes into town during rush hour if vital bus services are cut, say angry residents.
Under plans by Arriva to axe the Number Seven service which serves Greenfields and Coton Hill, it has been claimed students trying to access Greenfields Primary School or some of the town’s secondary schools would not be able to use public transport for their journey. Residents claim youngsters aged six and seven already wait for the bus without supervision, and fear they will have to cross Ellesmere Road to get to school.
A petition with 109 signatures has been handed to town MP Daniel Kawczynski.
Arriva is carrying out a number of changes to routes and services, and is in talks with Shropshire Council officials. The Number Six service will not serve Hubert Way on Herongate under the proposals.
The company has recently introduced 19 new buses around town and it is believed the changes will include new weekend and evening services.
Resident Mark Carolan said he had heard about service cuts from bus drivers. He said: “The children all go back to school on September 8 but no-one knows what is happening with buses There are children as young as six or seven who catch the bus on their own. If the buses aren’t there they will have to walk. Once they have used the new pedestrian crossing they will still have to cross Wood Street and Greenfield Street which are horrendous with cars pulling in.”
Councillor Maxwell Winchester, who chaired a steering group investigating bus use said:”We put a number of recommendations to Arriva which they appear to have taken on board. But there are still a number of issues with some services being cut.” Jonathan Hayes, principal transport planner for Shropshire Council, said: “There have been long standing issues on Coton Mount and Greenfield Street with parked cars, making it difficult for buses to get around the area and to be punctual.”
Keith Myatt, for Arriva, said: “We have looked at the patronage on route Number Seven with Shropshire Council and the service has had difficulty with irresponsible parking on the route.”