Royal Mail to axe two-thirds of rural bus service

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Royal Mail to axe two-thirds of rural bus service

Cllr Ferrin: 'KCC offered money to help'

ROYAL Mail has come under fire for axing two-thirds of a bus service that serves isolated rural areas.

Kent County Council said Royal Mail went ahead with the controversial decision despite an offer of increased financial support to keep the services going.

Post buses collect mail from post boxes and ferry people from isolated areas into and out of towns.

Nine services currently operate across the county but from September there will be only three in Gravesham and Sittingbourne.

KCC said Royal Mail originally planned to axe all the services but relented on three following urgent discussions with the county council.

The services facing the axe are numbers 301, 302 and 303 that serve villages in the Canterbury area plus 330, 331 and 332 in the Maidstone area.

The three services to be kept on are the 300 that serves Sittingbourne, Wormshill, Frinstead, Milstead and Highstead.

In Gravesham the reprieved services are the 304 Gravesend, Fairseat and Stansted service and 305 Gravesend, Bean, Betsham.

Cabinet member for transport Keith Ferrin said most of the passengers were pensioners.

He said: “We have saved three services, somewhat against the odds, and people in those areas must ensure they use the service in order to fight the risk of Royal Mail withdrawing them in future.”

A spokesman for the Royal Mail confirmed the plans to cease the six routes.

He said: “The increasing cost to the business of providing these routes is no longer sustainable, particularly following the onset of full competition in the postal market.

“The services are only used by a very small number of people and the cost of providing these six routes is nearly 10 times the council subsidy.

“However, we have agreed to maintain three other existing routes, which also receive a subsidy from the council, even though these also run at a significant loss.”

He said Royal Mail had to concentrate on its primary operation in these circumstances – that of delivering and collecting the mail.

POSTED: 31/05/2007 09:25:02

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