Lib Dems keep lifeline bus on the road for another year

11.27.20am GMT Mon 8th Mar 2010

Canonbury councillors Barbara Smith and Lucy Watt fought to protect the bus, which is valued by local pensioners.

The future of the 812 'Plusbus' service - a special hail-and-ride bus for elderly and disabled people - has been guaranteed for the third year running by Islington's Liberal Democrat administration with a new injection of council funding.

The service was almost axed in 2007 when the Labour Government pulled the plug on Department for Transport funding for the bus route. But Islington's Liberal Democrat Council stepped in to save the service. The council have renewed their commitment to keeping the bus running in 2010.

27,000 journeys are made on the Plusbus each year, mainly by Freedom Pass holders. The bus travels from Hoxton to Angel and back, via the Peel community centre at Percy Circus, and can be hailed down at any point along the route.

Canonbury councillor Barbara Smith commented:

"The 812 route is an important bus to a lot of older people in our neighbourhood. You can hail it down wherever you are, so it's really valued by older people who are less mobile, although everyone can flag it down.

"The Liberal Democrats in Islington worked hard to keep the bus when the Government cut its funding, and we stepped in to fund it again this year. It's yet another example of the council tax payer picking up the bill after Government cuts, so we'll be fighting for fair funding for this service."