YET again the bean counters at Thamesdown Transport have targeted the residents of East Swindon by taking away another of our bus lifelines, bus route number 20.

Only recently have they drastically reduced the number 21 service, now it’s the removal of the number 20 due to, in their words, an unviable service financially. If they took that decision over the whole of Swindon’s bus routes then a lot more services would be taken off the timetables.

Great Western Hospital is not keeping up with the ever increasing Swindon and the surrounding area’s population. The car park is also too small for the same reason, and we hear the GWH is reducing one car park for a new building. All of this makes it impossible at certain times of the day, to find a car parking space. Therefore, as we are always being told, use public transport. What a joke. The bus serving East Swindon is now being withdrawn, so we would have to spend 35 minutes travelling to the town centre to then wait for the 16x to the hospital, then do the reverse on our return, making the overall time travelling by bus to get to the hospital between one-and-a-half to two hours. That is no joke, especially if you are elderly.

Where are our MPs and our elected councillors when such a vital service like this is being withdrawn? Are they trying to negotiate the retention of our hospital bus service? I’ve not heard a thing from them; they have just abandoned the residents of East Swindon.

Come on the residents of East Swindon, let’s rise up and fight for our only lifeline to the hospital. Let’s put pressure on Thamesdown Transport and our elected representatives and get this stupid decision reversed.

BOB BUCK Coleview Swindon