Stagecoach should step up and replace crucial axed Northampton bus route in Uno cannot, says MP

Over the past month, the Chronicle has heard from dozens of Northampton residents who say they have become "prisoners in their own homes" since losing the No 19 Violet Uno bus.

Hundreds of people were cut off from the town when Kingsley Road, Kingsthorpe Grove and Boughton Green Road were cut from the No 19 route at the beginning of August because of "insufficient income".

Over 700 people have now signed a petition to reinstate the bus on its original route once an hour and restore a crucial lifeline for residents to see friends, go shopping and visit the doctors.

Now, MP for Northampton North Michael Ellis says if bus company Uno cannot provide a service he would support finding another group like Stagecoach who can.

Mr Ellis said: "I support this campaign to bring back a service or even a limited service. No service at all seems not appropriate to me, especially considering the elderly residents in this area.

"My constituents have written to me concerned they will be isolated without a bus service.

"It seems to me this route is perfectly commercially viable. Both of these companies [Stagecoach and Uno] should be looking at the viability of this route.

"I've written to the managing director of Stagecoach for an assessment of the situation and it seems to me that it's definitely feasible to have a service."

The No 19 and other Uno bus services are run to support students and staff from the University of Northampton and were revised in August ahead of the move to the Waterside campus.