The villagers of Charlwood are absolutely shocked at the alleged cutting of the Southdown 40 and 50 bus service that runs through the village, with the supposed reason being that the hotels, where the buses stop, are not making enough money. This service recently replaced the G4 bus service and already had a restricted timetable and was more than double the price of the G4.

The G4 route used to run through the night, taking holiday makers from their hotels based around the Village to Gatwick Airport at all hours, at a much cheaper price than any taxi firm could offer. As well as families embarking on their holidays, the late night bus journeys were also used by the local people returning from an evening out in London for example. Enabling local residents to get a cheap bus to Gatwick followed by a train to London, and then return without having to worry about getting home or an expensive, overpriced taxi journey late at night (or possibly early in the morning).

The existing Southdown service is the only bus service through the village that runs during the evening and also on a Sunday, as the 526 and 527 Metrobus only offers a limited weekday service, with the last bus coming into the village at 18.59 on a weekday and 17.47 on a Saturday. If this service was to be discontinued the local people would have no public transport on a Sunday or in the evenings, which is very restrictive, especially for the commuters who use the Southdown 40 every day to get to work. Without this bus they will have to drive, which is more expensive and would take its toll on the environment, which aren’t we supposed to be conserving?

It is alleged that the service will stop from the 3rd June, but what is being done about this forthcoming issue? Well the Conservative County Councillor, Helyn Clack, has contacted Surrey County Council regarding this concern, and local Councillor, Charles Yarwood, has been talking to Mole Valley District Council to see if anything can be done, and if the service is removed whether something will be replacing it.

The termination of the service would also have an effect on education. The nearest sixth form education provision for students in the village is Reigate College, which no longer offers transport. The Southdown 40 is the only way for students with working parents to get to the College, as they have to get the bus service to Gatwick and then either one or two trains to get to college. So is the cutting of this service really fair when education is compulsory until the age of 18? Without this bus, students will have to rely on expensive taxis or asking other friends to come and get them and take them to college daily. This is often not an option so even more money will have to be spent on travel, money which students and their parents might not be able to afford as part of the hidden costs of education.

So the question still remains whether this very important service is going to be abolished, as the people of Charlwood continue to do their best to keep it running, and keep their vital method of transportation.

Amelia Heath-Miles Reigate College