LAST week's GUARDIAN reported the decision by Warrington Borough Transport to stop operating its 48 bus route. We are very concerned about this because its loss will affect many people for whom there is no alternative bus service at all. There are homes and flats for retired people on the route and the bus is used by school children and by people going to work. We are told that the service is losing money but it is not poorly used and we know that other, much less well-used routes in Warrington are being subsidised by the borough council.

Transportation is currently high on the political agenda. Both central government and the council are supposedly giving a high priority to public transport and encouraging people to leave the car at home when getting to work or school or going shopping. Yet when support is needed for an essential service, that support is not forthcoming. What is needed in the short term is some finance to keep the service running until its longer-term viability can be assured. The lack of support to date doesn't seem to indicate the sort of "joined-up thinking" which local government is supposed to be showing.

CLR BRIAN AXCELL

(Appleton)

for TED FINNEGAN

(Latchford)

TED LAFFERTY

(Grappenhall & Thelwall)

CELIA JORDAN

(Stockton Heath)