BUS users from all over Tavistock, who say they were left stranded by new skeleton winter services, are pressuring the chairman of First Western National to 'get his act together', writes Alan Gregory.
They say vital services have been axed by the company in its new timetable, which came into force last week — and even the buses left sometimes did not turn up.
Whitchurch resident Lorraine Turner, who had to get a taxi home with seven others last week after a bus failed to turn up, said: 'It used to be twice an hour, when they turned up at all, now there's only one and they are still not turning up.
'I'm extremely annoyed. When my elderly mother last went into town she had to wait for two hours for a bus to bring her home and she's 80 years old. It's disgusting.
'And even when they do run to the timetable, there's no bus until one minute to ten in the morning — if you want to get to work or get children to school that's no good at all.
'This is the new revised winter timetable, but we've had an appalling service all summer with buses not turning up or breaking down and you can never get through to their customer service department — the 'phone is always engaged or no-one answers.
'The Government is always on about us using public transport, and First Western National say people aren't using the buses, but if they don't turn up or they are not at the times they are supposed to be, people aren't going to use them, are they?'
The changes have also made it difficult for Doris Redstone and Alison Martin to get to work. Both are facing extra expenditure, which Mrs Martin, as a single mother can ill-afford. She said it was becoming uneconomic to work at all.
Mrs Redstone said she and several others would be writing to First Western National's chairman: 'Western National needs to get its act together better than this. The last thing you want to do after a hard day at work is to wonder whether your bus home is actually going to come.'
Children have also been left stranded by the removal of the usual schooltime bus up to Greenlands.
Anne Hickman said she'd had to pick up a carload of children last week from the bus station, but did not have room for the many elderly people also marooned.
'My daughter is asthmatic and relies on the bus. I'm sure there are quite a few others who also rely on it,' she said.
Western National spokeswoman Vicki Cheetham said more buses were introduced in May, but not enough people were using them.
She said the company had posted notices about the reversion to pre-May timetables on roadsides, in the press and a new booklet had been produced.
'We apologise to any customers, who despite these efforts, were not aware of the changes and were subsequently inconvenienced,' she said.
'We are committed to providing a high quality, reliable bus service and regularly monitor delivery with independent customer and quality surveys.
'We will follow up any comments made, or any problems reported, and take appropriate action where possible, to ensure that we continually aim to improve the level of service that we offer our customers.'
Complaints should be directed to the General Manager for South Devon, Phil Hiett at the Plymouth Depot, The Ride, Chelson Meadow, Plymouth PL9 7JT.