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Why must my hospital trek be a nightmare? VOTE NOW
A pensioner is demanding to know why local bus companies are refusing to run direct routes to hospitals in the area.
Doreen Poole, of Parsonage Lane, Bishop's Stortford, has to keep regular hospital appointments in Harlow and Epping, and says she is sick of companies changing the routes at short notice as well as forcing elderly passengers to make two or three changes on a journey.
She said: "The Excel 333 service used to go directly to St Margaret's in Epping, but that was stopped some time ago. They do run services directly into the town but the times seem to be constantly changing, and they can't always accommodate us."
Mrs Poole, who is 71 and suffers from arthritis, often has to walk to South Street to catch a bus into Harlow, and then change to another bus to get to Epping.
"There are a lot of elderly people in this street and some of us just can't walk that far. If you're elderly and not well it's a terrible trek, which has is worse now the dial-a-ride service has been stopped."
Fed-up with the lack of consistency, she contacted bus companies Arriva and Excel, who run services in the town, as well as the town council.
Town councillor Colin Woodward arranged for Mrs Poole to meet with a member of Hertfordshire County Council Passenger Transport Unit, who noted her concerns.
Mr Woodward said: "It's a real pain. The county council recently changed its funding, which has put more pressure on the district council."
An Arriva spokesman said she sympathised with Mrs Poole and other pensioners but added there were not enough passengers to make it viable.
An Excel spokesman said: "We're aware it's difficult for some of our elderly passengers, and we do understand how they feel, but unfortunately we can't run services through every road in Stortford."
12:11pm Wednesday 20th February 2008
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CommentPosted by: Mrs M Twynham, Bishops Stortford on 11:55am Sat 23 Feb 08
You don't have to be elderly to be inconvenienced by the poor bus service (especially to Epping Hospital). I have had to alter appointments to try and coincide with bus schedules. This is not something which is ideal when you wait long enough for an appointment. It is a miserable experience having to change buses and wait in Harlow for the connection when you are feeling unwell. If you are elderly, the prospect must become daunting. Well done to Mrs Poole for raising this issue. Hopefully the county council will re-think its funding allocation with the prospects of an ageing population facing us.
You don't have to be elderly to be inconvenienced by the poor bus service (especially to Epping Hospital). I have had to alter appointments to try and coincide with bus schedules. This is not something which is ideal when you wait long enough for an appointment. It is a miserable experience having to change buses and wait in Harlow for the connection when you are feeling unwell. If you are elderly, the prospect must become daunting. Well done to Mrs Poole for raising this issue. Hopefully the county council will re-think its funding allocation with the prospects of an ageing population facing us.
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