Bus protesters at No 10
PROTESTERS took their campaign to save the threatened Romsey to Winchester rail-link bus to Downing Street yesterday (Thursday).
Campaigners, several dressed as Father Christmas, boarded their battle bus in Romsey and picked up more protesters along the rail-link bus route to Winchester before heading for Downing Street to deliver their message to the PM.
Petitions were handed in at Number 10 and also South West Trains HQ in the capital in a last bid attempt to get the train company's bosses to change their minds about axing the dedicated rail-bus link. The service is due to end on December 8. South West Trains is withdrawing the bus link because it says the service is making a loss and it is under used. The company is putting cash into providing extra buses on Stagecoach's X66 services between Romsey and Winchester while surveys are being carried out on usage.
One of the Save our Bus campaign's leaders, Nadine Taylor, said: "We have been approached by lots of bus campaign groups in the area asking us to help them. We should not be in this position in today's current climate when the Government should be encouraging greener alternatives to transport. But, by working together, we are sending a clear message that we won't be railroaded into traffic solutions that are bad for the environment."
On Saturday, the protesters took to Winchester's streets and collected more than 300 signatures in two hours.
Friends of the Earth has also expressed concerns about the dropping of the bus service. Chris Gillham, from the organisation, said: "What we had here was an excellent example of an integrated transport system that offered a cost-effective and greener alternative to sitting in some of the worst city centre traffic jams in Hampshire."
8:03am Friday 23rd November 2007
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