Last updated at 20:36, Thursday, 09 August 2012

Great Clifton residents who gathered a 200-signature petition after a lifeline bus service was reduced are celebrating the arrival of a dial-a-ride scheme.

PETITION POWER: Elsie Burridge and Jean Dixon with some of the 200 residents of Great Clifton who supported their campaign to have a lifeline bus service reinstated in the village

Elderly residents were forced to pay for taxis after the 1A service between the village and Workington was scaled back, with its journey leaving Workington at 9.18am.

Brian Dobinson, of Bow Flatts, owner of bus operator B+E Travel, has responded to the strength of feeling in the village and got a licence to run a dial-a-ride private hire service from September 1.

The company had been forced to cut the number of trips from 12 a day to three because of a cut in the money it gets from Cumbria County Council to subsidise bus-pass users’ journeys.

It had already been running the service at a loss and could not afford to lose more money.

Pensioners Jean Dixon and Elsie Burridge, both of Clifton Lodge, gathered a petition calling for the bus to be reinstated.

They said people living at the far side of the village could not walk up and down the hills to the main road to catch the X4 and X5 services.

They added that the county’s rural wheels service was not practical because it had to be booked in advance and some trips, such as visits to the doctor, could only be arranged on the day.

The new service will use the same vehicle as the 1A bus service and will start at 9.30am, when the 1A finishes, and run until 2pm. Villagers must book the service but can do so on the day if necessary.

It will cost £4 per journey to or from Workington, split between however many people are on the bus.

Mr Dobinson said he was spurred on to plug the gap by the strength of feeling from villagers.

He added: “They did something I didn’t know they were doing with the petition.

“From that I understood that they wanted it, and the support is there.”

Mrs Dixon, 80, said she was glad the petition had been successful. She added: “It’s a help. I feel great.”

Mrs Burridge, 71, said: “At last we’re going to have transport.”

First published at 19:19, Thursday, 09 August 2012
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk