Residents in one area of Bridgwater are up in arms over the scrapping of their Saturday bus service, and have started a petition to have it reinstated.

Sally Jones from Bridgwater spoke at the last town council meeting during the open section where members of the public can raise issues. She said: “The consultation over the suspension of the number six bus on a Saturday was done on the internet. Well how do you expect people who are in their 80s and 90s to respond if they don’t have the internet or don’t use a computer?”

The bus service that served the areas of Western Way, Kendale Road and Victoria Road was withdrawn this summer and since then there has been no buses on a Saturday said Mrs Jones. A petition is being gathered at the fruit and veg shop in the precinct and at the Victoria Park Community Centre she said.

“If there was one bus in and one bus out on a Saturday that would be fine,” she told The Mercury, “but to take them all away is cruel. The older residents like to come into town and do their shopping and meet up and use all the cafes and restaurants. I’m so angry and upset because they give you a bus pass but they then take away the bus. The elderly people affected will be stuck at home on a Saturday which is not good. Some will attempt to walk into town but it is quite dangerous. My mother-in-law is 89 and my father-in-law is 93. So a lot of them don’t go out as they have health problems.”

Mrs Jones said once the petition was ready she would be demanding a meeting with Somerset County Council to have the bus reinstated. “Bridgwater is getting neglected by Somerset,” she said, “when I moved here 32 years ago Bridgwater was beautiful. But Somerset County Council has let Bridgwater down. They didn’t even bother attending the transport forum meeting in the town.”

The town council heard a report on the Bridgwater Local Transport Forum held on September 16, at their last meeting. Cllr Moira Brown outlined some of the issues which included notes on the bus services in the town that included criticism of a lack of a proper service from the railway station to the estates and town centre.

Somerset County Council launched a consultation exercise to withdraw council-supported bus services last autumn that included the number six bus. The reasons were say the council  to improve efficiency and value for money for the tax payer. They said services would be cut if there was a low level of passenger use, other transport services are available on other days of the week, there were alternative services are on offer and if commercial services may be available in that area in the future.