The Henley Standard reports that services calling at two rural villages near Henley are to be reduced in a hit to local transport services

The 800 Arriva bus will now stop at Dunsden and Binfield Heath just four times a day in each direction from Monday to Saturday rather than nine.

The Sunday service, which runs between High Wycombe and Reading, has also been axed.

Arriva says the changes, which will take effect on Sunday, are due to low usage and the money saved will be used to increase reliability elsewhere on its network.

It had originally wanted to completely re-route the service away from the villages, but Oxfordshire County Council negotiated the retention of some of the Monday to Saturday services as they were the most used.

David Woodward, chairman of Eye and Dunsden Parish Council, said rural buses were an important lifeline for people without access to transport and schoolchildren used the service.

The council will be subsidising services by about £20,000 per year on an initial arrangement until August 2024.

However, parish councillors fear residents will be isolated with less access to public transport. Lis Ransom, chairwoman of Binfield Heath Parish Council, said: “The people who suffer the most are the elderly, people with disabilities and those who cannot afford cars”.

Full article:

The Henley Standard - Rural villages lose out as bus services are cut back