‘Rethink bus cuts and let us get home after 7pm,’ says people living in Stevenage and North Herts
Nicki Cuffaro, Theresa Cuffaro and Nick Gieras have all been affected by the bus cuts. - Credit: Archant
A heavily pregnant woman can no longer get home from work independently after the introduction of cuts to bus services across Herts.
The group of bus cuts campaigners gathered together in Stevenage on Monday evening. Credit: @SaveOurBuses_UK - Credit: Archant
Nicki Cuffaro works in television in London and arrives at Stevenage railway station after 7.30pm, when the SB8 service – which she needs to get to her house in Symonds Green – no longer runs.
The 31-year-old said: “I either have to take a taxi, which I can’t afford, or wait for my mum.
“I paid more than £500 for a ticket to use the buses but it’s now useless in the evenings. I do drive but I can’t afford a car by myself so share one with my mum.
“We both finish work at different times and if she has to pick me up it means she can’t do anything. It’s ridiculous.”
Nicki’s mum Theresa also commutes and explained that to park their car next to the station would cost more than double the price of buying two bus tickets.
The 61-year-old said: “I can’t see why the bus companies can’t just run one service for longer in the evenings.
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“It might not come so often but at least people would be able to get home after 7.30pm.”
Nicki’s partner Nick Gieras, 43, moved to the town from London and thinks that the lack of bus services could deter people from moving here. He said: “They are building lots of flats in the area and the people who will want to buy them may be put off because there isn’t enough public transport.”
The cuts came into force on September 1 after Herts County Council voted to save nearly £1.5m by not subsiding most bus routes after 7.30pm.
Campaign group Save Our Buses is looking at ways of pressuring companies to reintroduce routes and is looking to recruit more members.
For more visit www.save-our-buses.org.uk.
