Battle lines are being drawn as hundreds join the fight in a bid to reverse a decision to axe ‘lifeline’ bus services.

Stagecoach launched its new timetable across Canterbury, Herne Bay and Whitstable on May 5.

It has since halved bus numbers from four to two each hour between Herne Bay and Whitstable - making it every 30 minutes instead of 15.

Meanwhile, services between Herne Bay, Broomfield and Beltinge, as well as Greenhill and Canterbury, will now be hourly instead of every 30 minutes.

The decision has attracted heavy criticism.

It has led to Tory councillor for Herne and Broomfield, Joe Howes, creating a petition as he urges the bus operator to reverse its decision.

Amassing more than 650 signatures, the Canterbury City Council (CCC) representative says the former twice-hourly number 6 bus has a lot of "importance" to those nearby.

The 56-year-old, from Western Avenue, Herne Bay, explained: "This service is not just a means of transportation, but a lifeline which connects our communities [of] Herne Bay, Beltinge, Broomfield, Herne and Greenhill with Canterbury and Whitstable.

"It enables people to reach their workplaces, attend medical appointments, shop for essentials and, most importantly, prevent isolation by facilitating social interaction.

"The current bus frequency provided much greater flexibility for individual’s travel plans for those reliant upon public transport.

"According to data from Transport Focus (2019), approximately 61% of public transport users in our district are dependent on buses for work or education purposes.

"Age UK reports over half of all people aged 75 and over live alone, [so] having regular bus services can significantly help combat loneliness among this demographic.

"We must remember public transport is more than just a convenience - it’s an essential service which supports the economy and fosters community cohesion."

Cllr Howes, who has served on the council since 2011, is now urging Stagecoach to "reconsider their decision".

Meanwhile, CCC says any petition with more than 1,000 signatures can lead to the issue being debated at a full council meeting.

Should the number be reached, the petition will be debated by councillors on the night it is presented.

It comes just two weeks after many passengers hit out at the change.

One, Lisa Crossley, a cashier at Sainsbury’s on the Altira Business Park in Herne Bay, has already voiced her anger due to her morning commute from Herne Drive becoming considerably longer.

The 52-year-old mum-of-three said: “I am now going to have to get two buses - one to Herne Bay station and then another to Sainsbury’s and arrive 90 minutes early, to avoid being late for work if I get the later service.

“Other people on the bus have been complaining about it and an elderly woman I spoke to the other day, who needs the bus for regular GP appointments, was especially upset.”

Stagecoach insists the new timetable is designed to offer more capacity at peak times.

A spokesman for the company said: "There are two key reasons for making these changes.

“Firstly, to improve the reliability of the buses by making the timetables more resilient to the effects of roadworks and traffic congestion - by reducing the extent to which journeys are interworked with other sections of the route and therefore isolating disruption so that it doesn't have such a knock-on effect.

“Secondly, to make the service simpler to understand and easier to navigate by reducing confusion caused by having a single route name for every bus in each direction.”

Following the change, buses between Herne Bay and Canterbury will be numbered 600 and 601 and Broomfield and Beltinge will be served on route 602.