ALISTAIR CAMERON SUPPORTS CAMPAIGN TO RESTORE PRIORS PARK BUS SERVICE

9.00.00am GMT Sun 25th Jan 2009

Alistair Cameron, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesman for Tewkesbury has supported local residents in Priors Park who are campaigning for the restoration of bus service 41 so that it will again be run every 15 minutes.

Bus service 41 runs between Tewkesbury and Cheltenham and passes along Gloucester Road next to Priors Park. This service used to run every 15 minutes. However, in September the service was cut and it now runs every half an hour.

Residents have been told that the cut service is being replaced by an alternative service 42 which runs between Tewkesbury and Cheltenham and passes via the Wheatpieces estate. This completely by passes Priors Park and Gloucester Road. Priors Park residents who want to use this service are faced with a 20 minute walk past the roundabout in order to catch the bus followed by a further 20 minute walk back on their return from Cheltenham. This is completely unacceptable for elderly residents, people with young children and anyone who has to carry heavy shopping.

Alistair Cameron supports the continuance of bus service 42 covering Wheatpieces which many people have worked hard for. However, he understands this service is subsidised by the Wheatpieces developer and it should not therefore lead to reducing the Priors Park service.

This cut comes on top of the loss to Priors Park of the 71 service to Gloucester. Many residents in Priors Park are not fortunate enough to be able travel by car and they are badly affected by the reductions in their bus services.

Alistair Cameron and Richard Hart, Chairman of Tewkesbury Liberal Democrats, have collected a petition calling for the reinstatement of the Priors Park 41 service every 15 minutes. They have given this petition to Tewkesbury County Councillor Barbara Cromwell who presented it to the County Council meeting on 21 January.