A Margaretting woman is being forced to retire early from her job of 30 years because her only form of transport to work is being axed.

Now Mrs Elsie Hills is warning that other unprofitable links to rural areas might disappear in the same way that her Essex County Council-subsidised Eastern National 351 evening bus service is being scrapped from January 11.

The bus will continue operating during the day as a commercial service but, with fewer than four passengers a trip on the four night services - two each way from Chelmsford to Brentwood - the council has removed its subsidy.

The county has a policy that it will not subsidise travel if it works out at more than £5 per passenger journey, and the 351 night service was costing £5.29.

That leaves 60-year-old Mrs Hills, an Inland Revenue cleaner, with no way of travelling to Chelmsford for her night job.

"I will be forced to retire earlier than planned and lose some of my small pension entitlement," she said.

Mrs Hills said: "How can people be encouraged to abandon cars when communities around the county town are cut off from public transport at night?."

David Kershaw, bus manager for the county council, said: "The county has a limited budget with which to support local bus services and, although we want to improve access to public transport, we have to ensure that our limited funds are used to the greatest benefit."

Published Friday, January 10, 2003

Brought to you by the Essex Chronicle