WORCESTERSHIRE County Council is in discussions with Diamond Bus after an announcement was made on the operator’s website that parts of the 145 and 145A bus routes would be axed.
The service currently takes passengers from Rubery to Droitwich Spa via Bromsgrove but, Diamond stated, the bus would only operate Longbridge Railway Station and Stoke Prior via Bromsgrove as of January 5 next year.
The operator also said on its page that its sister 145A route would no longer serve Rubery, Wychbold or Droitwich Spa.
In response to these proposed drastic changes, a petition was launched by Wychbold resident, Sophie Williams which has gained traction online and garnered more than 300 signatures as we went to press yesterday (Thursday).
Speaking to the Standard earlier in the week, Sophie explained her mobility issues meant the service was essential to making her daily commute feasible and had a ‘significant impact’ on her quality of life.
She said: “It’s not difficult to see the 145 bus as more than just a means of transportation. It serves our community, becoming a lifeline for those who need it most.
“Our elderly residents utilise this service to maintain an independent life, freely moving around for their needs and contributing to maintaining their mental health due to the autonomy it provides.”
Operators of the service cited ‘low patronage’ levels on some sections of these routes as the reason for the changes. The announcement of the axing of the 145A service was made at the bottom of a list of ‘service improvements’ across Worcestershire on the operators website.
Sophie added: “We need the service. Maintaining the route is more than just preventing an inconvenient change – it is about safeguarding the quality of life for everyone in our community.”
Then, today, we spoke to Worcestershire County Council which said it was currently working with Diamond to examine a fall in passenger numbers and increased costs for this service.
“The service will remain in place whilst this review takes place, the long-term future of the service and how it will run will be decided once all options available have been considered.”
Visit: change.org/p/maintain-the-145-bus-service-from-bromsgrove-to-droitwich-via-wychbold to support the petition.
