LETTER: Problems with bus service

I want to bring to your attention the appalling 75 Compass bus service that runs between Petworth and Horsham.
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The service has already been cut so that there are only two buses going to Horsham in the morning and only one bus a day returns from Horsham to Petworth.

I live in Kirdford and have been using the service for the past six years.

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The final straw was this evening’s (November 25) poor excuse for a service. The bus was supposed to arrive at Horsham bus station at 5.50 - it finally turned up at 6.30.

I phoned the depot who said that it was late because of road works. When the driver arrived, he said that the original bus had leaked oil and broken down. I finally arrived in Kirdford at 7.30 - a distance of 15 miles after finishing work at 5.30. I could have walked home in the two hours that it took to Kirdford.

The poor pensioners who I waited with had been waiting to get to Barns Green since 4.00!

The bus two weeks ago again, broke down. My husband had to pick myself and another passenger up and take us to Billingshurst station and we had to get the train. I finally arrived at work at 9.30 - and had to work half of my lunch hour to make up the time.

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A few weeks before this, the bus, that was full of school children broke down in Wisborough Green and I had to get a taxi to work in Horsham, arriving at 10.00, again working through my lunch hour.

I could go on and on...

The drivers are always very helpful and professional - it’s the buses that just aren’t up to the job and are well past their sell-by date. Often they are very noisy and freezing cold as the heaters are either not on or don’t work.

I pay £32.60 for a weekly ticket and expect a better service than this.

We aren’t even in winter yet - things need to improve rapidly as this is totally unacceptable.

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I have complained to Compass who, to their credit, send a complimentary ticket or pay for the taxi.

They don’t, however, address the problem of the ancient buses.

We are all encouraged to get out of our cars and use public transport but with this kind of service, who on earth would want to?

WENDY PUTTOCK

Plaistow Road, Kirdford