“Appallingly” late Arriva buses have allegedly left elderly and disabled residents shivering in the cold in Abbots Langley.
Until November 20, Abbots Langley residents were served by two buses: the number 9, which ferried locals from the Co-op in Cunningham to Watford, and the number 10, which took passengers from Abbots Langley to Holywell.
Resident Linda Peters says that these two buses were very reliable.
On November 20, these services were withdrawn and replaced with a new route, the 328, which is scheduled to shuttle residents from Abbots Langley to Mount Vernon Hospital every hour. The reality, Linda says, is that the bus is constantly late, sometimes by as much as 25 minutes.
She said: “People are delayed trying to catch trains at Watford or get to appointments at the hospital. Elderly and disabled people have been left shivering in the cold for more than 25 minutes, stranded and trying to get home. It’s absolutely appalling.”
Linda says that previous bus drivers, who left their roles shortly before the changes, said the new route was “entirely unrealistic” and was far too ambitious in its timings.
A spokesperson for Arriva South said: “The biggest challenge in this area is that there are high levels of traffic congestion and it is often difficult to predict what road conditions will be like, especially when there are problems on the M25.
“As a bus operator, we’re always ready to make any changes that we need so our customers can get to where they’re going, as safely and efficiently as possible and we apologise that the 328 service has not been as punctual as it should be.
“We plan to review the timetable in the New Year and hope we can find a better solution.”
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