Pensioner left ‘trapped and isolated’ after roadworks stop buses out of Leeds village

‘If you don’t have a car, you feel like a second class citizen’

A pensioner has been left feeling “trapped and isolated” after roadworks stopped bus services out of a village in Leeds.

Main Street and Church View in Thorner are set to be closed due to roadworks until Tuesday, August 11, between 9.30am and 3.30pm each day.

Janet Hutchinson, 80, who has lived in the village for 51 years, is unable to drive and as such is reliant on the local bus service to get about.

Speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post, she revealed that she now faces a walk of over two miles to reach her nearest bus stop.

“It just makes me feel trapped and incredibly isolated,” she said. “They’ve obviously made it 9.30am so people can get to work but what about the rest of us?

“How do I get to my hospital appointments, my volunteering in Wetherby and my shopping? If you don’t have a car, then sometimes you just feel like a second class citizen.”

The work, which involves essential carriageway resurfacing, is expected to take up to seven working days to complete.

To help minimise disruption, the work is being carried out during the school summer holidays and at off-peak hours, outside of which the route remains open to all traffic, including buses.

The number 7 Transdev service, will be diverting between Bramham and Whinmoor via Paradise Way, A64 York Road, East Leeds Orbital Road, Whinmoor and Skeltons Lane in both directions, as a result.

Janet said the closure has compounded existing issues with the service, which was previously reduced from half hourly to hourly.

“Since the buses became hourly it’s just gotten so hard, as you need to set off so early to get anywhere,” she added. “But I haven’t been able to drive since I was 67, due to an eye conditioning, so I’ve just had to get used to it.

“They must be trying to rush the repairs through because of the Ironman as nobody can remember the street being closed like this before.”

Athletes, taking part in the Leeds Ironman contest will pass through the village next Sunday (August 16), as they tackle a 2.4-mile swim in Roundhay Park’s Waterloo Lake followed by a 112-mile bike ride and a 26-mile run.

Leeds City Council have said the work is “necessary to improve the condition of the highway,” and forms part of their commitment to maintaining and improving the city’s roads.

It is hoped that the work will extend the road’s serviceable life, minimise future defects and disruption, and help ensure it remains safe for all users.

An authority spokesperson said: “We appreciate that this essential highway maintenance work is causing disruption for residents and we’re sorry for the inconvenience this may cause. Resident notification letters were issued and advance warning signs about the upcoming works have been displayed in the area for over a week.

“Unfortunately, because of the narrow width of the carriageway and the nature of the resurfacing works, it was not possible to undertake the scheme safely while maintaining normal traffic movements through the affected section.

“We recognise that the temporary diversion of the bus service will be particularly challenging for some residents, especially those who rely on public transport and every effort is being made to complete the work as quickly and safely as possible.”