NEWPORT residents are furious that bus changes in Pill are forcing schoolchildren to walk further.

The bus company has stopped sending number 15A and 15C buses down Commercial Road. The service now runs down Mendalgief Road.

That means some schoolchildren travelling to Duffryn High or St Joseph's Schools have to walk further across Pill to catch the bus, instead of taking a short stroll to Commercial Road.

Residents are also upset that Newport Transport's new service 40 from the city centre to Pill does not run at all on Sundays or after 6pm on weekdays.

Pat Bates, aged 64, of Pottery Road, is preparing a petition calling for the return of the former services.

She said: "With winter nights coming the children are going to have to get the bus in the dark. It's not safe to be out. Some will walk across the dangerous park. And now elderly people cannot visit the city centre in the evenings or on Sundays. They can't be expected to walk into town."

Jack Price, aged 75, of Alexander Road, said: "I often go into town on weekday evenings or Sundays to meet friends for a drink. Now I face a £5 return taxi fare. I have difficulty walking and these changes have restricted me to Pill."

Trevor Roberts, managing director of Newport Transport, said services were changed because of the impending opening of a stretch of the Southern Distributor Road which the service would have to use. The new road has too few stops on it to make the route viable.

The company has opted to use Mendalgief Road so that it can also serve the retail park. To partly cover the loss, the service 40 shuttles from Pill to the city centre.

Mr Roberts added: "Running the service 40 on Sundays or evenings was not viable for us. Another bus company will start running the service on Sundays in late October. They have the option of doing evening services.

"We spent an awful lot of time discussing changes with the schools. Some children will walk further but the distances weren't considered unreasonable."

He said a yellow school bus would pick up designated pupils from the southeast corner of Pill.