Daughter says bus cuts in Middlesbrough will be 'devastating' for her 81-year-old mother

There are concerns that elderly people will be left isolated by the new 29 route, which will no longer serve Marton or Cypress Road in Middlesbrough. The move is part of widespread cuts by Arriva which will see services slashed across the region from July 9.

Independent Marton East councillors Dorothy Davison and Jason McConnell have urged the bus company to row back on the cuts or ensure another bus service goes go down Cypress Road. Arriva has stated it is still in discussion with the Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) regarding options to mitigate some of the more significant changes.

The bus company has previously claimed the TVCA has not given it enough money to cover its costs and it’s now appealing to the government. A joint statement from Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen and the leaders of the Tees Valley councils said they were all working extremely hard to find a solution.

A concerned resident said: “The removal of the bus route would be devastating for my mum who is 81, has recognised disabilities and uses her bus pass to remain independent, do her own shopping most days and to access regular NHS appointments at James Cook Hospital and her GP practice in Middlesbrough.

“If the Route 29 bus is removed from the Cypress Road loop my mum loses all opportunity to use her bus pass as she is unable to manage the walk to and from the Marton shops where the nearest bus stop would be. The equivalent taxi service to the hospital or the best value shops is likely to cost £14 return.”

Coun Davison and Coun McConnell have offered up their own solution. They have suggested either reducing the service to hourly while continuing to service Cypress Road or send the 28 around Cypress Road, as it already goes along Stainton Way and then it can turn up Mallowdale.

In a joint statement, they added: “We are very concerned regarding the loss of this bus. We have a huge elderly community and working people who live in the Cypress Road area who use this bus for essential services doctors, shopping, the hospital and going to work.

“The loss of this bus will isolate this community. It would be impossible for our elderly to walk to Marton Shops for a bus…We need this service to continue for our residents to ask the elderly to walk at least one mile to Marton Shops is unacceptable.”

The pair are concerned about the lack of consultation and have also taken their worries to Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland MP Simon Clarke, Mr Houchen and Middlesbrough mayor Chris Cooke.

A spokesperson for Arriva North East said: “In some areas, customer demand for our bus services has reduced, so we have changed our timetables. As a dynamic transport operator, Arriva works hard to ensure that we adapt to our passengers’ demand and travel patterns, while making sure our services are punctual.

“However, we can advise that we are still in discussion with Tees Valley Combined Authority around potential options to mitigate some of the more significant changes.”

Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen and the leaders of Middlesbrough, Stockton, Redcar and Cleveland, Hartlepool and Darlington councils made a joint statement recently saying: “We hear the concerns raised by residents that will be affected by the recently announced Arriva service cuts.

“The mayor and leaders of the councils have been working very closely together to understand what can be done to mitigate the impact of these cuts and consider a potential way forward.

“The Tees Valley Combined Authority and local councils are working in lockstep on this and looking at a range of potential options. Given the economic climate, there is no easy one-size-fits-all solution but make no mistake, we are all working extremely hard to find a way through this, and we’ll continue to work closely with one another over the coming days.

“We expect to be able to provide a further update in the near future.”