A HUGE public outcry against the threatened withdrawal of the Number 65 bus service has resulted in a 1,000-name petition which will be presented to Monmouthshire County Council tomorrow, Thursday 26th April.

The Beacon reported (4th July) that the Number 65 bus, which links Monmouth and Chepstow via the B4293, was due to be axed at the end of July, but this withdrawal has now been apparently postponed to allow for further consultation.

The possibility of the service, which runs five times a day, being dropped prompted a backlash by the public and one woman, Rosemary Corcoran, collected 1,000 names to support her case for keeping the much-loved bus route.

She gained the support of Councillor Debby Blakebrough, who argued her case with officers of the council who have now indicated that “members have reflected upon this proposal and its implementation has been suspended”.

Mrs Blakebrough told the Beacon that this decision to remove the service “clearly conflicts with Monmouthshire’s vision and strategy of combating loneliness and isolation and building sustainable and resilient communities, particularly the two of the five objectives;  ‘A thriving and connected county’ and ‘lifelong well-being’.

With the number of emails sent to the council from concerned rural residents coupled with the petition, she hopes that the council will not sever a lifeline used by the young and old: “Without public transport they can’t access education, employment, social and leisure activities,” she said.

“After Rosemary’s fantastic work with the petition, the many voices made a loud roar that could not be ignored,” she added.

Roger Hoggins, Head of Operations for MCC said that a saving of £25,000 had been offered after allowance for additional school transport services (to replace the public service) and additional ‘grass routes’ services (bus service on demand).

But he went on to say that its implementation has been suspended because a wider review of public bus services is being undertaken at a county wide and potentially regional level.

“The council’s Corporate Plan adopted in February of this year acknowledges the importance of public transport and incorporates an action to develop a range of options to improve rural transport and better public transport linked to opportunities throughout the Cardiff Capital Region.

“This is included in a wide range of actions leading up to 2022 but, given this much wider strategic review, it would be precipitous to undertake any significant service change until such time as the review is completed and its findings shared,” he added.