COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

Villagers on Nuneaton's doorstep are battling for the return of the only bus link with their nearest city hospital.



Many of them were left stranded when the service between Bulkington and the University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire (UCHW) was axed last month after funding was withdrawn.

They have set up the Bulkington Transport Group to fight for its return and have launched a petition which they hope will raise 1,000 signatures before the end of next month.

Transport group co-ordinator Roger Hill said: "We want a complete review of public transport in Bulkington with joined-up thinking and not the hotch potch of left overs from previous services."

But their major concern is the withdrawal of the No 75 bus which was a daily, two-hour service between Bulkington and the hospital at Walsgrave.

"Not everyone drives and we do have a lot of pensioners in the village who cannot afford to pay £8 which is what it costs for a mini-bus service to the hospital," said Roger Hill.

"They can use the mini-bus, but the cost mounts up if they have a relative in hospital for a long stay or have regular appointments of their own."

The campaign co-ordinator added: "The problem also affects the village along the route like Wolvey, Shilton and Ansty, who are all supporting our petition

"There are huge traffic build ups at the hospital and the management there have said that the problems could be eased if people use public transport.

"But we don't have a bus link to the hospital any more and all we need is a local, daily service which people will use."

As well as the reinstatement of the hospital service, the Bulkington transport campaigners also want Stagecoach to extend the current No 56 bus route to Ryton Green at the top of Long Street.

At the moment the bus turns from Rugby Road into an always congested New Street where vehicles are double parked causing jams and hold ups.

"A lot of drivers already continue to Ryton Green and it would make sense to make it the official turning point and it would also make the route more accessible to people who live in Ryton," said Roger Hill.

Copies of the petition have been circulated in shops, pubs and business in Bulkington and it can also be signed at Bulkington Village Centre.

Customers at the Bull's Head pub in Wolvey are also collecting signatures from people campaigning for the re-introduction of the hospital bus service.

The campaigners intend to present the petition to Warwickshire County Council and Stagecoach at the end of November.

A decision was made at Shire Hall to stop paying bus companies to run services after 7.30pm as well as some Flexibus services after its grant from the government fell from £3m to £1.35m.

County council chiefs havs stressed hat as part of the 'Facing the Challenge' mission, they need to reduce the budget across-the-board by £66m over the next three years, and that it spent £2.9m a year on financial subsidy support for bus services.