Disabled bus user feels 'trapped' as route cut in favour of Dover Fastrack service

• ITV News Meridian's Sarah Saunders reports from Dover, Kent

A man who has cerebral palsy and impaired sight says his independence and freedom has been taken away after the bus route he relies on was cut.

Jason Pollard, 35, depends on the 61 bus route in Dover, Kent to reach essential services and to get to the gym.

Parts of the route through large parts of Whitfield have been cut, with other service reductions in the area.

Jason said: "I'm not going to be able to go to the gym anymore, it's going to take away my independence, my freedom.

"The fact that I go there to keep myself moving and it's good socially as well, that's all gone."

Jason competes in strength competitions every year so getting to the gym is essential.

He said: "I can only go there now if somebody is willing to take me and pick me up or if I go with my support worker. So it's going to be harder to do my Strongman stuff."

Jason is not able to walk to the new bus route, which would take 20 minutes.

Tammy Pollard, Jason's mum, said: "I'm devastated because he's spent years building up his independence. It took us a long time to actually let go of the apron strings for him to do that.

"He's become a really beautiful person in himself. He goes out, the people on the bus love him and everybody looks out for him. It makes me feel better.

"As a mother all you want for your child is to have something to get up for in the morning and that was Jason's life really.

"I'm not going to say it's going to stop it completely because we'll do what we can to get him there still but it means he's got to wait for people to take him and just to lose that independence it's devastating."

The Dover Fastrack service was introduced on Sunday 17 November, connecting Whitfield with Dover town centre and Dover Priory railway station.

The route was established as part of infrastructure plans, before new housing developments are built just outside Dover.

Kent County Council has delivered the scheme in partnership with Dover District Council.

It has been funded through a £22.9 million grant from Homes England, designed to help stimulate new housing growth in Whitfield and at the former Connaught Barracks site.

A dedicated fleet of five electric buses will be introduced on the route next year, with ultra-low emission buses temporarily used in the meantime.

The new electric buses are supported with an £850,000 grant from the Department for Transport’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas scheme.

The service will make use of existing and new roads, as well as dedicated bus lanes which will give the buses priority over other traffic.

Dover District Council, which contributed £1.42 million to the scheme, feels misled.

Cllr Jamie Pout, Deputy Leader, Dover District Council (Lab), said: "One bus replacing another is just not working for us. If we were told this at the outset there is no way we would be supporting this.

"Kent County Council have a responsibility to do their job, hold Stagecoach responsible. Stagecoach have a responsibility to listen to people."

Sean Spillane, Save Our Buses, said: "As we understand it, it was supposed to be an additional route, which to me means that Stagecoach would have to employ more drivers, and obviously put on more buses, but apparently they haven't done that."

Kent County Council says it is working with Stagecoach to provide additional services after the timetable changes which the bus company insists were commercial and not related to Fastrack.

Joel Mitchell, Managing Director, Stagecoach South East, said: "I need to re-iterate the two things are entirely separate. We are here to grow bus use, but there are some low numbered services where we can't maintain the frequencies we had before.

"I can assure you there is nobody in my business that get any joy out of cutting services, reducing service frequencies, we are here to do the opposite."

Neil Baker, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, Kent County Council, said: "The Dover Fastrack is a clear example of infrastructure for the future.

"With more than 6,000 new homes being built in Whitfield, and at the former Connaught Barracks site, Dover District Council identified the need for a new rapid transit bus system to ease traffic impact in the local area and were awarded a £22.9 million grant from Homes England to pursue the project.

"KCC supported this project with our Fastrack services as it aids our ambition to put infrastructure in place first before planned housing and to help stimulate growth.

"As the new homes are built, the service will be critical in supporting the residents of Dover and easing traffic in the local area, showing it's long term benefits.

"The road infrastructure is now ready, and the decision was made to start the service so people can have the benefit of the new Dover Fastrack service, just without the electric buses for now. Stagecoach have ordered the buses which are set to arrive in summer 2025.

"From November 17, the service will be a high-quality, frequent and reliable bus service thanks to the new and improved infrastructure which see the buses have priority over other traffic.

"The scheme will be further enhanced next year, with Stagecoach extending the operating hours to coincide with the London high-speed rail timetable, which will build in even greater connectivity.

"Over time, we know that Dover Fastrack will reach its full potential in connecting communities and providing residents with reliable public transport services."

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