News

Bus Changes Make It Tough For Pensioners

Tuesday June 4 2013

A PENSIONER and his arthritic wife say bus timetable changes between Penistone and Barnsley have made it difficult for a number of elderly people to access medical care.

Ron Stier, of Silkstone Common, faces a challenging walk to reach Dodworth Surgery following alterations to the number 21 service at the end of April.

The service, operated by Stagecoach, used to pass the High Street health centre but Ron, 71, who has a replacement hip, and wife Denise, 73, who suffers from rheumatic arthritis and sciatica, must now walk more than a third of a mile from Mitchelson Avenue after the bus was re-routed away from the centre of Dodworth.

"We've a lot of old people in our village and it's very inconvenient," said Ron, who was also unhappy about the lack of consultation over the changes.

"It's a lot of walking for a lot of old people. In this day and age, it's a bit sad really.

"More old people just can't get to the doctors and it's really put the final nail in the coffin."

Stagecoach director Rupert Cox said changes were made to reduce journey times between Penistone and Barnsley, and said the surgery was still accessible using two buses.

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Reply Posted by Terry on Tuesday June 4 2013 at 12:12

There is a thing called a TAXI if you are not happy

Oh forgot, you are too happy using public transport FREE of charge

Reply Posted by Jane on Tuesday June 4 2013 at 12:22

Not a very nice comment Terry, I do hope your never old & have to rely on public transport.

Reply Posted by Moe. on Thursday June 6 2013 at 20:12

Before you get so clever, ATHING ACLLED A TAXI IS EXTORTON FOR MOST PENSONERS AND YOU WILL BE OLD ONE DAY AND MAYBE NOT VERY GOOD ON LEGS........ IT IS NOT THE FACT OFF FREE AND EVEN A SO CALLED BUS AT 1 PER HOUR IS NOT GOOD TO HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER HOUR .............. HOPE YOU ARE BLESSED WITH GOOD HEALTH AND i BET A CAR DRIVER

Reply Posted by Alle on Sunday June 9 2013 at 18:11

Terry what a shitty thing to say, and taxi's cost more money but i bet your one of those that sits on arse all day and us works pay your benifits Dick

Reply Posted by Knowing the difference... on Sunday June 9 2013 at 19:42

Alle, learn to spell my love. It's 'you're one of those blah blah' not 'your'.

Reply Posted by Don't mind Jane on Sunday June 9 2013 at 19:44

'you're never blah blah' not 'your'.

Reply Posted by c on Sunday June 9 2013 at 23:48

Actually it is 'your' as in you, not 'you're' that's you are. Doh

Reply Posted by Jamie Sykes on Tuesday June 4 2013 at 12:13

The bus service changes are ridiculous, it may sound petty but from being able to get a 21 at Gilroyd at 8:35 to having to be out for 8 to catch a 22 (which is full of school kids) is pretty annoying. I can't see the sense in adding the 20 service if they're going to stop the 21 serving Gilroyd and Dodworth high street. They should at least have a couple of 21's doing the old route (like they do at night) before 9am.

Reply Posted by Fred on Tuesday June 4 2013 at 21:35

Jamie, so you don't want to get on a bus full of kids, you want it a requested time, not scheduled, if you ask nicely they will send a bus just for you at the time you want it, oh no sorry that's called a TAXI !!!!!!!!!

Reply Posted by Chris on Tuesday June 4 2013 at 12:25

try Tates then

Reply Posted by Moe. on Thursday June 6 2013 at 23:31

our service from them is no better

Reply Posted by ThoroughlyHackedOff on Tuesday June 4 2013 at 12:29

I can understand why the route has changed to a certain degree as people complained of the length of time it took to get to town, however it now covers the same parts of Dodworth and into town which means the 20 and 21s leapfrog each other going up the road.What a waste of resources. I don't understand why it can't still head towards Racecommon Road which was a popular pick up and drop off and which isn't covered by Stagecoach at all anymore as far as I've been able to find out. But that's another issue. The fact that the 21 buses are now up to an hour and 15 mins apart instead of the previous 30 mins is another massive alteration and will cause a lot of frustration when the rain and colder weather hit again . Two weeks on the trot two 21s (the ones that would get working folk to town for 8.30am) have broken down, and time to get from the edge of town into the centre to catch a 20 wasn't available. How would the gentleman and his wife be expected to deal with that? It wasn't possible for me, let alone them. The letter I received back to my complaint simply said words to to the effect of 'these things happen' though it did say that the situation is being monitored, so we need to complain louder. In writing and cc it, to our local councillor, the chronicle and to you - WAB??

Reply Posted by Sally on Wednesday June 5 2013 at 10:39

I thought buses were a public service ?
Surely it's better for stagecoach to cover as wide a area as possible with its buses Istead of just concentrating one area , I have seen on several occasions 21 & 22 running together up and down dodworth road what's the point in that I ask ?
I think stagecoach would do itself a great favour by reinstating the previous route through kingstone & gilroyd and give people the valuable connections back as surely this would make more commercial sense rather than 2 buses running together on the same stretch of road .

Reply Posted by hmm on Wednesday June 5 2013 at 17:54

Why does this pensioner have to walk so far when they can simply get on a bus free of charge, get off it and get on a second connecting bus free of charge?

It might add a little to their journey time but at the end of the day a pensioner can go from ANY bus stop in Barnsley to ANY other bus stop in Barnsley completely free of charge so they really don't have any need to walk almost a mile do they.

Reply Posted by tom on Thursday June 6 2013 at 19:14

I am studying at college and I now I have to get the bus an hour early and some times wait an hour after college for a bus that goes to my stop as the 21 has changed yes i know its not a big deal but when you miss you bus as it was early as didn't stop or it broke down witch the 21 often dose then haiving to wait an hour is just annoying! I am just glad its college and not work as they would not stand for this! I have been speaking or heard from alot of old people to and they have been hit hard with the time changes. Out of everyone I have spoken too or over heard not one person had liked the new time and bus route of the 21! please please please change it back to how it was! and how is it far that the 66 runs ever 10 minuets when the 21 is once an hour yes i know there are more stops and people ect ect but taking one bus off the 66 and puting it on the 21 route would help a lot!

Reply Posted by tom on Sunday June 9 2013 at 19:40

Sorry for all of the incorrect spellings and punctuation in my last comment. I must be an idiot.

Reply Posted by Steve on Friday June 7 2013 at 10:59

Bus services just doing whats best for themselves, to make money, we would all do the same if we owned a bus company

Reply Posted by Taxi Man on Sunday June 9 2013 at 19:39

Just get a TAXI. Another article on WAB where old farts are complaining for nothing. Great news coverage, WAB.

Reply Posted by c on Sunday June 9 2013 at 23:50

Are you going to pay for them to go by taxi?

Reply Posted by Billy on Friday June 14 2013 at 19:55

Yet another pensioner complaining about their free travel. As people have said, they could catch the 21 to Dodworth and then the 22 to the surgery. They haven't said it but what they really mean is they no longer get a door to door service. Personally I love the new 20 and 21 service. I get to read my paper at the wheel in Penistone before I set off back to town. I'm happy for the service to revert back so that Ron and his wife can enjoy it like they used to providing they pay for their travel. Anyway, the walk will do him good and he may not need to go the doctors as often?

Reply Posted by Billy on Friday June 14 2013 at 19:58

Tom, your apology is grateful, although I feel you are fibbing a little bit. At college with those spelling mistakes? Nice to see my taxes aren't being wasted.