Cuts in bus services to villages in Mid Bedfordshire have been described as an "appalling" move by residents.

Next month Bedfordshire County Council will axe the V2 evening service, also known as the 'Venus' route, between Bedford and Cranfield.

That will mean there are no more evening buses on the route from Bedford to Kempston Rural, Marston Moretaine, Stewartby and Wootton.
Cranfield Parish Council has said the cutback will hit residents of all ages and backgrounds.

Coun Laurence Pollock said: "It is unbelievable. We have been messed around over this issue for years, and now it looks like they are going to close down Cranfield every night.

"This has been done without any consultation. And it is not just villagers who will be hit. The bus provides an invaluable link from the village to the university, which is what makes Cranfield so distinctive.

"Students with lodgings in the village will not be able to go to lectures if they stay late in the evening working in laboratories or in the library. Young people with part-time jobs at the university will not be able to get home in the evening. Lecturers and students are equally worried about what is going to happen."

The Times & Citizen has seen a selection of the correspondence Coun Pollock has received.

One staff member wrote: "Many of our students rely on the bus to get back and forth to campus, and would be unable to keep their part-time jobs, or even in some cases to complete their coursework if they don't have access to transport in the evening.

"Some of these students do not own a car or hold a driving licence, so they have no reliable alternative to the bus system for transport.
"I hope that the county council will reconsider their decision, and keep the evening bus service."

And a student told Coun Pollock: "I am currently living in Cranfield village and working at Cranfield campus, and not having a car means that I rely on the Venus bus services on a regular basis, both in the mornings and in the evenings (ie. the buses leaving campus at 21.25 and 23.30).

"Cancellation of the evening services would cause a lot of trouble to me as I would have to resign from my evening activities on campus.

"I know I am not the only person that would be affected – many students and staff members use the evening buses to get back home to Cranfield and other villages along the bus route to Bedford."

Tom Wootton, county council Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: "As yet, I have had no contact from the parish council on this subject.

"We have to ensure we get the best value for money for the taxpayer when we subsidise bus routes. The reality is that not enough people are using some buses. For example, with this particular bus route, 300 people a month on average are using it. This, coupled with the rising cost of subsidising bus travel due to increased fuel costs, means some routes are not economically viable."

'Six bus routes face the axe': See www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/bed-news/Six-bus-routes-face-the.3971449.jp