Grimsby Woman's Mental Health Suffers After Bus Route Changes
Key Highlights :
Laurie West, a gardener from Grimsby, is struggling to keep her business afloat after changes to bus routes across the borough have left her unable to access her clients. Laurie, who lives on Hainton Avenue, used to take the number 7 and the 250, known as the Humber Flyer, to visit her clients but now the routes have changed, the bus no longer picks her up from her stop.
This has meant that Laurie has to walk much further to catch the buses, and she is not wanting to pay for private transport. As a result, she is unsure whether she can keep her business going. On top of this, the change has also had an impact on her mental health. Laurie said: "I used to take the number 7 and Humber Flyer to my clients and I could easily get to them and back to my house that way, but now I can't. I also can't get to my allotments as easily now. It's just not good enough."
The changes to the stops had added a walk of more than a mile and a half to her journey, she added. Laurie said: "One of my client's lives on Cambridge Road and because of the changes to the number 7 it means I have to walk all the way from Hainton Avenue. I'm happy to have my clients, but I have lost two jobs because of these changes."
Laurie is also 'angry' about the changes, as they came out of the blue, and she has had to cancel some clients. She said: "The dream would be to have everything back to the way it was, but I can't see that happening. It's also taken a toll on my mental health, knowing when the bus came kept me calm, but now it's all changed I'm far more anxious. With the way things are going I may have to give the business up completely now."
A spokesperson from Stagecoach East Midlands said: "Working closely with North East Lincolnshire Council, we made a number of revisions to our Grimsby Cleethorpes bus network during May to reflect changing passenger travel patterns since the pandemic. We have extended some core routes to provide new journey opportunities with better frequencies. We have also reduced or curtailed services where there are overlaps to ensure the long term viability of the network."
Changes to bus routes can have a huge impact on people's lives, and in the case of Laurie, it has not only affected her business but also her mental health. It is important that bus companies work closely with local authorities to ensure that changes are communicated clearly and that people are aware of the impact they may have on their lives.
