Bus-reliant residents in Clarendon Place may get their service back, a public meeting has revealed.

Operators Stagecoach and Kent County Council agreed that a one-off trial run will go ahead for the 68 bus.

It will pick up and drop people off at the bottom of Clarendon Place, so those with walking difficulties do not need to tackle the hill.

Chairman of the Clarendon and Westbury Association Keith Sansum said: “Most agreed it was a good option to keep the bus running.”

The meeting was organised and chaired by Cllr Gordon Cowan.

Obstructive parking in the road was one of the reasons the service was removed.

District councillor Peter Wallace, who represents Maxton, Elms Vale and Priory, said: “Many complained about a few bad bus drivers who refuse to drive along the street.

“They tell people who get on in town ‘I’m not going up Clarendon’ before they’ve even got there.” He alleged: “The worst offender has been taken off the route because of his attitude.

“If the trial is a success I’ll be working with KCC and Stagecoach to get the new route up and running as soon as possible.”

Labour parliamentary candidate Clair Hawkins also attended. She said: “The meeting showed the future of passenger power with people taking Stagecoach, KCC and the district council to task with constructive solutions to ensure the route can continue.

“It is Labour’s plan to give communities a much greater say over local bus services, and the meeting proved how important and productive this could be.

“It felt like Stagecoach and KCC were listening; now they must take the suggestions and find a workable way to keep the 68 bus serving the community.”

A KCC spokesman said: “Two members of the residents group will be invited to travel on the test run, along with representatives from Stagecoach and Kent County Council, to evaluate the route variation. If the test is successful, the route will be changed. Dover District Council, meanwhile, have agreed to investigate the feasibility of parking enforcement in the area or issuing a permit scheme.”