I WAS interested to read your account of the changes to bus services in south Warrington (Warrington Guardian, March 8).

These are described as improvements but this is not the view of the residents of Stockport Road, Thelwall and adjacent roads.

I congratulate Les Pratt and the residents of All Saints’ Drive whose long and hard-fought campaign has resulted in the number six service being withdrawn from their road.

However, as Mr Pratt acknowledges, the consequence has been to remove the service from all parts of Stockport Road where many of the residents are elderly and unable to walk to and from the alternative route along Thelwall New Road.

The loss of our service will result in social isolation for some and increased car use by those able to drive.

I and other residents have raised these concerns with Network Warrington, local councillors and our MP on many occasions since the previous curtailment of the service about 18 months ago but to no avail. I attended the roadshow on February 28 but it was clear that this event was not a consultation but merely an opportunity for the Network Warrington management to inform those attending of what had already been decided.

In recent years there has been a massive reduction in bus networks both locally and nationally and this is due in large part to government policy which has had the effect of leaving public transport at the mercy of market forces.

However, Network Warrington must accept responsibility for the current changes whereby ‘unprofitable routes are axed while large amounts of money are spent on a rebranding exercise.

The Cheshire Cat brand seems particularly appropriate when we recall that the cat’s main characteristic, apart from its grin, was its habit of disappearing, just like our bus service.

I am sure that the residents of Stockport Road consider that putting pictures of cats on the new buses in no way compensates for the loss of our service.

DAVID HACKETT Thelwall