BUS CUTS have seen elderly people lose their independence, women walk through woods at night and school pupils wait in the dark.

Calls have now been made for the council to help Harefield after its 13 service bus timetable dropped to just one per hour and none in the evening.

The Harefield estate’s bus service is run by First and on October 31  the operator cut its service.

Residents can only get a bus up to 6.30pm – and no buses run in the evenings, or on Sundays.

The ‘heartbreaking’ issue was brought to Southampton City Council by members of the Harefield Bus Campaign.

One campaigner, Emma Rowe, said: “I use the bus regularly. It’s now tricky getting to medical appointments because of the times of the buses.

“Planning life now is a nightmare. If you miss the bus, as I did twice last week, just by a few minutes, I then had to wait for an hour for the bus. It’s affecting my mental health in worrying about the buses.”

Ms Rowe went on to talk about her safety concerns.

She said: “It’s also a massive safety issue getting home in the dark. Harefield is not the safest area to be walking around in, but (I) have no choice as the buses stop so early.”

Another campaigner, Barbara Hancock shared stories with the council on what the timetable change has led to.

The stories included people having to give up hobbies, people not being able to care for their elderly parents, and people having to give up jobs.

One person was forced to wait in the cold with their 94-year-old mother for a bus that didn’t even come.

Another woman had to walk through the woods in the dark, and children had to wait after school in the dark for an hour.

Ms Hancock said some elderly people have ‘lost their independence’.

She said: “They don’t want to wait an hour for a bus. It may have been the only trip they had and people to talk to and they cannot walk to another place to get a bus. They have lost their independence.”

First said ‘it will build on its close partnership with local authorities, be a reliable partner, aligning its services to the needs of customers’.

Councillor Eamonn Keogh, cabinet member for transport, said: “As a Labour council, we will do all within our powers to protect local bus services.

“I hope soon to be meeting with the new managing director of First in Southampton to build a co-operative relationship.”

Opposition leader Councillor Dan Fitzhenry called on the council to take ‘firm action’.

First was approached for comment.