Sainsbury's bus cuts in Hangleton cause a stir (From The Argus)

Sainsbury's bus cuts in Hangleton cause a stir

4:57pm Friday 1st October 2010 in News

Sainsbury's local community bus cuts in Hangleton have left some residents with a tough trip to go shopping.

Some grandparents now have to make two bus trips each way to get basic shopping after Sainsbury’s slashed three of its community bus services on September 27.

Residents from the badly serviced Mile Oak, Hangleton and Shoreham areas have criticised the ending of the free service for the elderly to the West Hove store.

They feel the ending of these buses will prevent local old people from being able to shop independently and in close proximity to their homes.

Anita Scourfield, whose mother used the bus, said: "It’s hard now but it’s harder for her in the winter months and she’ll need to rely on others now to bring her shopping."

With no direct routes from Shoreham and only very limited peak public services from both Mile Oak and Hangleton, people now gear up for the two bus interchanges in Hove necessary to backtrack to the shop.

Sainsbury’s press office said: "The number of people using our service had declined to a level that made it unsustainable for us to continue."

By Cormac Reynolds