by A pensioner had to crawl on his hands and knees up a hill with his shopping after his bus route ended.
Royston Pressley, 82, was found crawling up the path in the Hampshire village of Netley by a fellow resident who said he told her: “That hill is going to kill me.”
The retired shipbuilder and yacht decorator was trying to climb a hill that residents say is “steep, even for a younger person” on his way home after the Bluestar bus company scrapped its regular route.
Bluestar announced changes to its bus routes on September 1 to improve journey times in the area, but some stops serving Netley and other villages have been axed as a result.
Speaking from his home, Mr Pressley said: “I’m not too happy about it. The bus is a long way from us – that’s the only way to get to Southampton from here.
“It is necessary to go to the shops. It’s okay going down, coming back is no joke. I’m done.”
Mr Pressley’s nephew and niece left the UK for Australia, meaning he has no immediate family to help him, so he relies on carers or friends.
Regarding the incident when he climbed, he said: “I got up pretty quickly. But I could be there all night – it happens.”
Mr Pressley has now retired from gardening, which he said is “a lot” to deal with.
On whether Bluestar will reverse its route change, he continued: “I thought they might, but I doubt it. They are a big company, there are a lot of people around here for buses. It’s a nice little village, but I’ve seen some changes.”
An urgent meeting was held in the village, home to 6,000 people according to the latest census, to discuss the future of the bus route.
Some pensioners in attendance were moved to tears by the fact that they could be left stranded without a bus service.
More than 50 people attended the meeting, including the local MP and council leader. He heard that about 20 people a day were carrying the stops that the company had cancelled.
June Bangs, 81, said of the day she found the pensioner crawling up the hill: “I went out to my garden bin and found the poor gentleman on his hands and knees trying to get home.
“I ran as fast as I could to him and when I reached him, he looked up at me and said: ‘That hill is going to kill me.’ This bus service is a lifesaver for us.”
Rachel Foulkes, 59, a family friend who looks after Mr Pressley, said she was like a daughter to the 82-year-old and asked her to represent him at the meeting.
Mrs Foulkes said: “He gave up his car two years ago and relies on the bus for everything. He goes on the bus to [the] Co-op, Hamble Square and Woolston.”
She said he was very upset and Bluestar had turned his life upside down, saying: “He can go down to the bus stop on Hound Road but it’s back up the hill on Woolston Road steep, even for a younger person. I hope Bluestar listens to what we have to say.”
Another attendee, 88-year-old Doreen Salter, said: “This blew me away. This means we are completely isolated. It’s just a tragedy for us seniors.”
Angela Humphrey, aged 70, said: “I’ve already thought to myself: is this a viable service for running a company? But it is a vital service.”
Bluestar said the changes would improve journey times and allow the bus service to extend beyond Southampton city center to Central Station, but the changes have come at the cost of stops in Netley and surrounding villages.
Mrs Foulkes said although there were only 20 or so residents using that part of the bus route, 20 people were still affected.
“There are no buses other than number 15 serving Netley,” she said. “This is what is wrong with society. Old people struggle with technology, with online banking, with e-consultations.
“Some of them are very smart but most of them don’t have the internet.
“Even organizing the meeting, [the bus company] send a message on Facebook. I saw it but a lot of people aren’t on Facebook, another example of technology not working.”
Mrs Foulkes spoke of another person she cares for who is partially blind and also said she would not be continuing the walk down to the new bus stop.
Wendy Alison, 52, said the new bus route was already causing havoc on the road for her elderly neighbours.
The teacher said: “He’s already had a big impact. The hill is woeful. In our opinion it is a steep hill at the bottom.
“Luckily, they’ve put a bench at the top so people can rest.”
Hamble Valley MP Paul Holmes said: “I’m very sorry to hear this – no one should have to be in this situation.
“I am continuing to work with the local community and Bluestar to find a solution that works.”
Richard Tyldsley, general manager of Bluestar, said: “We are continuing to operate Bluestar 15. We appreciate the inconvenience some customers may experience due to the route change in Butlocks Heath.
“However, Bluestar 15 is still operating locally, with existing and new bus stops located within a short distance.
“For a small number of our customers it’s a slightly longer walk, after missing Ingleside and Woolston Road, but we looked at this carefully and made the decision to improve the whole route.”
He added: “Our review of Bluestar 15 concluded that journey times were too slow, and punctuality was not as good as we had hoped. Also, some important links in the city were unavailable.
“We strongly believe that these improvements will develop demand on the route – directly ensuring that we can continue to operate well into the future.”
