RETIRED and disabled residents have hit out at proposals to axe or scale back bus services which they say are a lifeline for them.

Residents from Dryleaze Court sheltered housing in Wotton turned out in force this week to give Gloucestershire County Council their views on the subsidised bus route review, which could see several of their key services cut or reduced.

The elderly residents say losing their buses, particularly the Wotton hopper and the Thornbury to Gloucester, would mean they could be left stranded and unable to go out shopping or meet friends.

Muriel Crew said she uses the buses regularly to visit her sister who is also elderly and cannot drive.

"If the bus was cut, well I just wouldn’t see my sister any more, it would be awful," she said.

Grace Bell, also a Dryleaze resident, said: "We would not manage, we could not cope without the buses. A lot of us don’t have families close by that can give us lifts, we’d be stuck without transport."

Rachael Wilkins, a Kingswood resident, has spinal injuries and can only walk with the aid of two crutches. She can’t drive and relies on the Wotton Hopper bus to get her shopping each week and has written a letter to the council signed by many other bus users.

"I think it is a disgrace," said Rachael. "The bus is usually very full. It is a lifeline not just for me but for lots of elderly residents and other disabled people. It is just horrendous to think this service could be going."

At the moment, the council completely subsidises around 140 bus services and part subsidises another 30 to help people get around.

This costs the council £5million every year. The authority says that in many cases the services are not well used and are very expensive to provide.

One of these highly subsidised routes is the 244 from Dursley to Bristol, which has 6,000 annual passengers and costs the council £12.67 per return journey.

With £2 million to save in transport costs by 2013 it inevitably means cutting or reducing some services. The review will look at either cutting or reducing various bus routes, asking private providers to take on services or looking for other alternatives such as a ring-and-ride style system in rural areas.

Cllr Chas Fellows, cabinet member for economy and the environment, said: “I understand some residents in Wotton are concerned that their bus route may be changed.

"Unfortunately we cannot afford to continue subsidising services that are poorly used, but this doesn’t mean that every service will change.

“While the main aim of the county bus review is to save money, it also gives us a great opportunity to design a better, more efficient network that gets people where they really need to go."

Details of the review are available online at www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/busreview People have until June 27 to give their views on what is being proposed.