RESIDENTS in Chepstow are fearing for their jobs after plans to alter the route of a major bus service to Bristol emerged.

Stagecoach announced over the weekend that, as of Sunday, January 5, the bus travelling from Chepstow to Bristol – the Severn Express – will no longer be serving Cribbs Causeway Retail Park and Aust in south Gloucestershire.

But residents who use the bus on a daily basis to get to and from work have expressed dismay at the plans - with a petition calling on Stagecoach to scrap the plan having already attracted 700 signatures.

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Confirming the changes, Rupert Cox, managing director of Stagecoach West, said: “This will see us add extra peak time journeys to Bristol without serving Cribbs Causeway.

“This difficult decision is necessary in order improve punctuality and to address the poor financial performance of the route, which currently only sees an average of four or five people using the service per journey.”

But a petition set up by Nicola Jones, a Chepstow resident working at Cribbs Causeway, is demanding the decision is reversed, and has already received 700 signatures.

Ms Jones, 32, said: “This decision would result in the loss of employment for far too many people. Stagecoach have not consulted with their passengers and have not considered the consequences of their actions.”

If the changes go ahead, those who continue to commute from Chepstow to Bristol and don’t drive will most likely have to travel to Bristol City Centre before getting another bus to Cribbs Causeway and Aust stops.

“The alternative journey is going to add at least an hour onto my commute,” Ms Jones added. “That means a three-hour round trip a day for somewhere that is a 20-minute car drive away. I already know multiple people who have had to quit their jobs because of this.”

Antony Young, 40, who is also a resident of Chepstow working near the stops in south Gloucestershire, says he didn't agree that only a small number of people use the bus.

“There are many people who are dependent on this service,” Mr Young said. “The obvious impact is on those who work at the Causeway mall who may no longer be able to get to work. However, it also affects others, such as elderly shoppers and those travelling to Filton College.

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“There will be a significant impact on our local businesses too. Many people in the surrounding areas visit Chepstow because of this service.”

Labour councillor for Thornwell Cllr Armand Watts said the decision is difficult to understand, and has called on intervention from the relevant local authorities.

Cllr Watts added: “It is common knowledge that Chepstow has a pollution issue. If we’re serious about helping the environment then we have to make these buses more convenient and encourage people to use public transport, not the opposite.

“With the recent planning applications passed in the area, Chepstow is likely to become even more of a dormitory town for Bristol. To have more cars going there in 2020 is not a good idea, especially given the poor infrastructure for traffic.”