Residents left stranded by cancelled buses as service provider enters administration

The 42 service from Congleton to Crewe via Middlewich was cancelled, shutting down public transport access from the town to Leighton Hospital and Holmes Chapel schools.

While Cheshire East Council placed warnings online, many older residents were unaware and went to catch buses from various locations today.

June Hamer, 74, of Manor Crescent, who waited for the 42 in Long Lane, said: “I had been waiting for over an hour. I had given up and gone home, but there was a man of 80 who was trying to get to town and couldn’t.

“It’s the only way for some people to get to the hospital in Crewe. How are we going to get to hospital and get out of Middlewich? I am fed up, I am absolutely stressed out.

“I have called the council and they aren’t offering any alternative service. If I want to go to Crewe I am going to have to drag my trolley somewhere else to catch a different bus.

“I feel marooned out on my own with no back up. I can’t afford to move. I am lucky I can walk, but I don’t want to stand at bus stops in the rain.”

A Cheshire East Council spokesperson said: "We wish to assure our residents and schools that we are doing all we can, as a local authority, to mitigate the impact of the sudden loss of services by providing alternative transport where possible. Unfortunately we may not be able to cover all services affected."

Grant Thornton UK LLP were on Thursday named administrators of Wrexham-based GHA coaches, whose 320 staff were made redundant and 230 services cancelled after they failed to pay taxes.

Jason Bell of Grant Thornton said: “We are liaising with the local authorities involved on contingency arrangements for the routes affected in North Wales, Cheshire and Shropshire.”

Cllr David Williams, Middlewich Town Council member, said he had raised concerns about GHA at a town council meeting in December, but that there had been ‘precious little action’ from the town and borough councils.