Village 'cut off' by new bus service

SIR - As a regular bus user, I have just received a copy of the revised First Group Route 1 and 2 bus timetable effect from August 9 and an aghast that Appledore s last bus service on weekdays and Saturday from Barnstaple leaves at 7.35pm and arrives in A

SIR - As a regular bus user, I have just received a copy of the revised First Group Route 1 and 2 bus timetable effect from August 9 and an aghast that Appledore's last bus service on weekdays and Saturday from Barnstaple leaves at 7.35pm and arrives in Appledore at 8.14pm. The previous last departure from Barnstaple was 9.35pm, arriving in Appledore at 10.14pm.

Appledore residents wishing to visit Barnstaple in the evening for social or cultural reasons and not wishing to drink and drive are now denied the facility by the First Bus bean counters.

What has happened to a service for the public? What has happened to the ability to return from Exeter by a late train and try and reach Appledore?.

How is it that First Bus has the temerity to isolate Appledore from a public bus facility in the evening with no consultation? What is more galling is that Stagecoach has just introduced a 15-minute interval Route 21 extended bus service from Barnstaple to Westward Ho! to give that town a bus service of six per hour (with both First Bus and Stagecoach) with a last Stagecoach service from Barnstaple at 10.20pm arriving at 11.04pm.

I suppose that Appledore residents will just have to walk from Northam Square all the way back home after a not very late social or cultural event in Barnstaple.

Roger J Heffer, Appledore.