PASSENGERS are campaigning for a bus which has been withdrawn between Tavistock and Derriford Hospital to be reinstated, as they say it is penalising staff, patients and people who cannot afford a car.

A petition of 200 names against the move has been put together, spearheaded by staff who depend on bus services to get to work every day.

This week they vented their frustration at what they called 'a negative reply' from the bus operator First Bus.

The withdrawal of the 86 bus service means that there is now only one service an hour between the town and the hospital — two years ago there were three — and passengers living between Bishopsmead and Tavistock Bus Station will not have a service at all.

First Bus has said it has withdrawn the 86 service, which travelled via Woolwell during the off peak, which had 'very minimal' useage, in order to increase the frequency of the number 15 and 83 buses between Derriford and Plymouth which had capacity issues.

The changes were in response to local demand.

In a statement to the Times the bus company said: 'In altering our services in March we were trying to give people travelling between Tavistock and Plymouth more options while also improving the frequency — and boosting the overall capacity — of services between Derriford Hospital and Plymouth.

'Notably, buses between these points carry a lot of people and we needed to do what we can to accommodate them.

'Conversely, the data from our ticket machines tells us that very few people travel to and from Woolwell, and so while we have retained an hourly service for those who do use the buses, it was felt that using our resources elsewhere would benefit a greater number of people.

'We are sorry if some people have been inconvenienced by the changes but they were made with the best intentions in mind.'

First Bus added that it was aware that a petition had been set up and would be reviewing the changes.

Julie Austin, who travelled on the number 86 bus to get to work and started the petition, said she finished at 3pm and now had to wait 53 minutes for the bus.

She said: 'There is also a 50-minute wait at Tavistock bus station for those who live at Lydford and need the connecting service which has now increased by another 20 minutes,' she said.

'There seems to be loads of the number 15 buses that come into the hospital empty. Surely one of these can be reinstated for the Tavistock people so at least we can have two an hour?

'First Bus' response to our correspondence has been very negative.

'Basically, as far as I can see, the bus company has chosen to penalise hospital staff, sick people and the poor who cannot afford a car to drive to the hospital. I suggest it reinstates our buses as soon as possible.'