Many pensioners will be stranded at home by Plus Bus axe
Thank you for your story last week (Gazette, March 17) about the council axing its funding for the 812 bus.
The council’s decision will now mean that thousands of Islington’s old people could be left stranded at home.
Labour councillors’ attempts to blame Boris Johnson are a complete smokescreen. Let’s be clear that it is the council’s decision to cut all its �140,000 funding for the Plus Bus service that has spelt the end of this lifeline bus service.
Going round with a begging bowl to the Mayor was never going to alter the fact that Labour councillors agreed this cut in the first place.
So it is a bit rich for them now to say they “feel deeply” for the PlusBus users. Users will be left with precisely nothing as a result of this decision.
At the council’s budget meeting last month, Liberal Democrats called on the council to reduce its spending on spin doctors, glossy propaganda and free school meals for bankers’ kids to save other local services.
How ironic that Labour councillors think it is more of a priority to use council taxpayers’ money on free lunches for bankers’ kids than transport to take Islington pensioners to their lunch club.
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Our last chance to save the PlusBus is the council meeting on March 31 when Liberal Democrats will ask Labour councillors to think again. I hope that this time they will agree to axe the council’s resident magazine and use the cash instead on saving the PlusBus. – Councillor Terry Stacy, leader, Islington Liberal Democrats, Town Hall, Upper Street, N1.