Medway’s Labour Group has called on Arriva to listen to residents’ concerns over changes to bus services.

Bus users in Medway have been left angered after some services were scrapped particularly in Walderslade, where 200 people affected by the withdrawal of all three services on a half-mile stretch of Walderslade Road have signed a petition demanding they be reinstated.

On the Hoo Peninsula many residents say they have been left isolated by a new system which has given those in Grain a fast service out from the Peninsula, but bypasses other villages on its way.

Arriva has said it is rethinking the major shake up, implemented on Sunday, July 12, and now Medway’s Labour group is putting more pressure on the company to take action.

Medway Labour’s Regeneration and Communities spokesman Andy Stamp said: “While the Labour Group recognises that many of the changes have led to more frequent bus services on a number of routes in Medway, it is clear that the public were not consulted properly, leading to a number of problems which need to be resolved urgently.

“The withdrawal of the 196 bus service on to the Medway City Estate has affected a number of employees who relied on the bus in order to get to work.

“At a time when traffic congestion is causing a headache in the area, we should be making it easier for people to get to their place of work by public transport, not more difficult.

“In addition, the withdrawal of the 179, 181 and 701 services from a large section of Walderslade Road has disproportionately affected many older residents who rely on accessible local bus services to remain independent, whether it be doing their shopping or getting to appointments at the hospital or their local GP.”

Cllr Stamp has written to Arriva to highlight the concerns and has requested a meeting to discuss the matter.

Arriva has said the recent changes have actually increased a number of services, including routes to Gravesend, Bluewater, Twydall, Grange Road, Luton and Wayfield. They say the service to Hoo remains on a 20-minute frequency and has been extended, and that changes on the Isle of Grain have been made to make the service more cost effective while inconveniencing as few people as possible.

An Arriva spokesman said: “We have to put our buses where they’re going to be used, and if bus services were being used by lots of people we wouldn’t remove them.

“Where usage has been low then we’ve had to make a decision to reduce frequencies or re-route services.

“We’re happy to meet with councillors and the Labour group and we will listen to people’s concerns; if there’s a way we can make further changes then we will try to do that.

“If there’s a social need for a bus service but it can’t be run commercially then the local authority could decide to support that service.”