I WAS most concerned to read that that Oxfordshire County Council is considering the removal of the number 17 bus service (Cutteslowe/Jericho to Oxford route).

I now live in Headington, but spent several years living in Jericho and during this time I found this bus a real lifeline, as I’m sure many in the area do.

To me, the Number 17 bus was far more than just a bus service, a means of transport. It always seemed to me more like a little community-on-wheels, small enough for people to get to know one another a little and say ‘hello’ (no small thing if you live alone or feel isolated).

Many of those who use this bus are elderly and/or disabled and for them, the walk to a ‘main route’ bus stop would be difficult if not impossible.

With no bus, there is likely be a greater risk of social isolation and loneliness and, I would suggest, an increased need for support from the council’s health and social services departments, leading to more, spending, not less.

To remove this bus service would, I feel, be a short-sighted decision and I would urge the county council to think again.

Christine Allen
Latimer Road, Headington