A PETITION with 325 signatures has been presented to Devon County Council’s cabinet asking it to consider reinstating a rural bus service in North Devon.

Cabinet members heard that villagers in Witheridge were often stranded at bus stops and fearing for their safety because three connecting services which had replaced a direct bus from Exeter to Barnstaple were frequently breaking down, being diverted or cancelled.

The community is calling for the 155 service to be reinstated so students can get to college on time, adults to work and the elderly to health appointments.

The petition was presented to council leader Cllr James McInnes (Con, Hatherleigh and Chagford) by Cllr Jeremy Yabsley (Con, South Molton) and local resident Cath Cottingham.

Cllr Yabsley said problems occurred after a re-tendering exercise with Stagecoach in 2022. The direct route was scrapped because it was deemed unviable.

“We lost our through-service. Now we have a connecting service between Tiverton and South Molton which is not delivering what it needs to deliver,” he said.

Mrs Cottingham said education, employment and leisure opportunities were limited locally, meaning that travel is essential.

“Many of our most vulnerable residents rely solely on public transport – the young, elderly and those with disabilities. We need a reliable bus route to be able to access work and health appointments.

“Our young people are dependent on buses to get them to college in Exeter and Barnstaple.

“The service is often cancelled, diverted or breaks down. When one service is missed the connections are missed which can mean a two-hour wait in the cold, dark and rain in an isolated bus station.

“If it is the last connection missed then passengers are stranded in Tiverton or South Molton with no way home.”

She said there were examples of people being harassed, neuro-diverse people becoming distressed and elderly people missing vital healthcare.

“My own daughter missed valuable learning time and has been made to feel scared for her own safety,” she said.

“We implore you [councillors] to promote connectivity for our expanding village to keep it vital and viable. We want to be able to actively participate in our communities, contribute towards the workforce, promote social mobility for young people and for our lovely village take an active role in Devon.”

In April Stagecoach said changes were made to services between Exeter and Barnstaple to improve punctuality and reliability, tailored to passenger demand and to ensure services remain viable.

North Devon councillor Peter Jones (Ind, Witheridge) said he hoped that county councillors and officers would find a solution, because the community had so far been ignored.

“Stagecoach are insisting that the service is 99 per cent perfect, with virtually no issues, but this is despite us presenting lists of issues. This is not something we do for fun.”

By Alison Stephenson