‘Keep bus subsidies’

DEAR Editor, I write in my capacity as Thame Town Council’s Parish Transport Representative.

On Tuesday, January 26, Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet voted to recommend to the full council their proposed budget, which in addition to drastic cuts to many other county council services (e.g. children’s centres and day centres for elderly people), includes withdrawing all bus subsidies. (See Thame.Net’s report)

In Thame this would mean ending the contract in June, with Vale Travel to operate the 120/121/123/124 service.

Many local residents have contacted me to explain how this bus service is a lifeline for them, because it is the only way they have of getting into town from the eastern part of town e.g. Garden City and Towersey Drive, as they do not have their own transport and are unable to walk that far. It is also the only way many people in Tetsworth have to get to the doctor’s surgery.

I addressed the Cabinet on the 26th to ask them to rethink the policy to abolish all bus subsidies and, despite failing to get cabinet members to change their minds then, I intend to address the full council meeting on February 16, to ask all councillors to vote against this devastating budget. I will also present a petition from local residents asking all councillors to vote against the budget and to keep the 120/121/123/124 service running.

It does not have to be a daily service, as residents have told me that two or three times a week would suffice. That is not asking for much.

There will be a copy of the petition in the information bureau at Thame Town Hall during office hours and I shall be travelling on the bus to collect signatures between now and Monday, February 15.

I urge as many of your readers as possible to sign the petition, if they agree that it is important to keep this service running, whether or not they themselves actually use it.

Mary Stiles
Willow Road
Thame