A CALL for a Holsworthy town bus service was made at a committee meeting of HolsworthyHELP, an organisation which supports older people in the town, writes Christine Williams.

When the medical centre was relocated from the town centre to Dobles Lane there was talk of providing transport. For a while some buses diverted from the main road to serve the medical centre and hospital, hence there is still a bus shelter outside, covered in green moss.

More recently, the hoped for hoppa service between Underlane and the new agribusiness centre did not materialise once Tesco decided not to develop the site of the old cattle market and the section 106 money was not forthcoming.

HolsworthyHELP chairman Sandra Willetts said at a meeting last Thursday that she had heard of elderly people in the Glebelands area of the town having to pay £7 for a taxi to keep an appointment at the medical centre.

There was a volunteer car service but it was not always available.

But concerns that patients and visitors to the Long House might have difficulty in finding transport were alleviated by Jenny Richardson of North Devon Hospice, who said they had factored in a fetch and collect service by volunteer drivers and a minibus would also be available.

Asked if there was any chance of a town bus service Martin Prentice, chairman and treasurer of Holsworthy Rural Community Transport Association, said there was a glimmer of hope.

They had applied for a share of £25-million of Government money, which was being made available for rural community buses.

If successful they hoped to buy two buses, one to replace their ageing Ring and Ride bus, which had high maintenance costs, and another to provide a town shuttle.

This might run from Under Lane via Glebelands to Dobles Lane, enabling people to reach the medical centre and hospital as well as get to work or shop.

Furthermore, there was a chance that funds might be forthcoming if a developer acquires the old market site from Tesco, which is currently up for sale.

Mr Prentice struck a precautionary note, however, recalling that the hospital hoppa service, which had been tried for a few months, had been withdrawn due to lack of use.