LETTER: Just moved and buses stopped

We have recently moved from East Sussex into Westbourne, West Sussex.

Reading the spring issue of the Westbourne Parish Council Newsletter we learn that most of our bus services are about to be withdrawn – just as we are trying to discover how to use the services that are currently provided.

As an octogenarian I rely on being able to use a reliable bus service, especially as I no longer use my bicycle (a) because of the state of the roads in the area (Foxbury Lane, off which we reside, is not only narrow but in a terrible condition and totally unsafe for cyclists) and (b) drivers in this area totally ignore speed limits and drive so recklessly that bus transport is the only safe means of getting about.

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In East Sussex we were used to being able to get about at any time during the day but here in Westbourne it appears that we are only going to be able to travel into Chichester once a day on a service leaving Westbourne at 10.19 and returning from Chichester at 12.49 giving us a maximum of two hours to undertake necessary shopping/banking/hospital/socialising, with no alternate services provided.

Emsworth is over a mile away – therefore a long walk for a pensioner and not a viable alternative.

I earnestly hope that further consideration be made by West Sussex County Council to identify how Westbourne and its surrounding villages can be better served with public transport.

Guy Thompson, Foxbury Lane, Westbourne