Company helps pensioners

A BUS company which upset a frail pensioner by refusing to pick her up from the same spot she has climbed aboard for 13 years has performed a U-turn.

Veolia Transport left Grace Thompson distraught when they took over her regular bus route from Powells and Wilfreda Beehive and refused to stop at her usual place for "safety reasons."

The service into Rotherham town centre, which is a lifeline for the pensioner, stopped for Grace just yards from her home at The Lanes, East Dene,

But one Veolia driver said that he was unable to stop and pick her from the usual spot because it was on a junction and unsafe for other road users.

The move left the 77-year-old—who struggles with asthma and walking—scared to use the bus and unable to get to the nearest stop, as the walk involves climbing steps.

Grace said: "This is really important to me—I can't get out and about otherwise. I just manage to get to town and can't walk very far.

"The nearest stop is too far for me—it is up steps which I can't manage with my shopping trolley. I don't trouble anybody much. I think I deserve a bus service."

After several phone calls to the company, frustrated Grace appealed to the Advertiser for help.

And this week, operations manager John Murray said that he had spoken to the driver in question who would now stop for Grace at her preferred spot whenever it was safe to do so.

Grace, who reported the problem six weeks ago, said that she could not understand why there was a problem.

"In the past the service was run by Powells and Beehive," she said. "You put your hand out and the bus stopped.

"It has been stopping in exactly the same place for the last 13 years but this one driver refused to stop for me."

Mr Murray said that the spot in question was on a bad corner at a junction, but after speaking to Grace directly, confirmed that he had contacted the driver in question to try to resolve the situation.

"The driver was worried that stopping there might cause a collision and felt that it was unsafe," he added.

"Now, we have told Ms Thompson that if it is clear and safe, we will pick her up.

"We have to try to make sure that everything is done safely and we don't want to put anyone else at risk.

"Roads are not as safe as they used to be so it is not as easy to just pick people up, but I have spoken to the driver and if we can get her, we will. We don't want to upset her."