Organisers of a petition to re-instate bus services in Whitwick hope to put pressure on Arriva by getting 3,000 signatures.

Local resident, Jacky McNeice, began the campaign when services 16, 29 and 29A were taken off the original route through the centre of Whitwick village.

She says: "The recent rerouting of buses has caused considerable hardship to residents who now have to walk long distances in bad weather to use the service. 

"Residents of all ages, people with disabilities, parents with toddlers and also schoolchildren are all affected by the route changes.

Campaigners want to see bus services in the centre of Whitwick again

"This is not just an inconvenience; it's a significant disruption that affects our daily lives.

"Our community is diverse - we are people of all ages, individuals with disabilities, mothers with toddlers and school children. Each one of us relies on these bus services for different reasons - be it going to work or school or simply carrying out essential daily tasks like shopping or visiting the doctor.

"The original route through Market Place and North Street was not just a convenience but a necessity for many among us who cannot afford other means of transport or are physically unable to make the long walk necessitated by the new routes.

"We understand that changes in public services are sometimes necessary due to various factors such as budget constraints or efforts towards efficiency. However, we believe that such decisions should never be made at the expense of those who rely most heavily on these services.

Market Place in Whitwick. Photo: Instantstreetview.com

"We therefore call upon Arriva and relevant local authorities in Leicestershire County Council to reconsider this decision and reinstate bus services 16, 29 and 29A back onto their original route through Whitwick village centre."

You can sign Jacky's petition HERE.

There is also a second petition HERE, which adds: "People now have to walk long distances in all conditions to use the bus services and from the bus stops to reach key areas of Whitwick, such as the Co-op and more importantly Whitwick Health centre."

The campaign has the support of Whitwick councillor Tony Gillard and North West Leicestershire MP Andrew Bridgen.

Jacky told Coalville Nub News: "It all stopped around September or October, 2022. 

"The bus services 29/29A from Coalville through Whitwick to Leicester - would not be directed through the village any more.

Whitwick councillor Tony Gillard has given his support. Photo: Supplied

"Then the 16 which goes from Coalville to Loughborough, which also went through the centre of the village, would now only go to the outskirts.

"I tried to get on to the Parish Council last year to try and get this conversation stated, but I didn't get elected.

"But Cllr Gillard did a lot to try and push the matter. I was told there was a petition, but I didn't see it so I started my own. It stemmed from there.

"I wrote to Arriva, but it wasn't a good response and wouldn't change anything. Then I spoke to Andrew Bridgen about it. And he was extremely helpful and he also wrote to Arriva.

"But the inference was that I was the only one complaining about this. Then Mr Bridgen told me it was worth starting a petition.

"I asked for a meeting with Leicestershire County Council who agreed that the distance people now had to walk was acceptable."

Now the petitions have gained more than 1,000 names, Cllr Gillard said he wanted to triple that.

He said: "We're aiming for 3,000 signatures.

"The cuts to the services were nonsensical. I contacted County Hall and tried to set up a meeting with Arriva - which they declined at first. Then after four or five months, they decided to have a meeting.

Photo: Dreamstime.com

"We discussed the problems and I asked them about customer care and suggested alternatives. They said the only way to get the service back was if the County Council subsidised it, which isn't going to happen.

"The reason for the cut in service was to 'improve customer travel time'.

"Feelings are running high in the village over this, they are depriving a lot of people and ignoring the prospect of bad winter weather when pavements are icy.

"There's been a bus service through the centre of Whitwick for as long as anyone can remember."