A PENSIONER says changes to a bus timetable has cut off her and her neighbours in Hallow.

However, the bus service provider has defended changes, saying customers are just "confused" by the new timetable.

Ann Finn believes the changes are prioritising university students while making things difficult for the many elderly users in her village.

The 69-year-old said six months ago the 31/31A service from the Monarch Drive stop, near Hallow, was running every 10 minutes to the city centre, before First Bus reduced it to every half an hour.

Mrs Finn, who no longer drives and uses the service most days, said following complaints from users, the provider then promised a bus every 20 minutes in the village.

However, she believes the new timetable, which she describes as a “complete mess,” shows no bus from Monarch Drive between 7.53am and 6.29pm.

She said: “Where we live is the end of line, and now there is only four buses a day – two early in the morning and two late buses. Effectively, there is no bus service. We have nothing. It’s all hinging on the university.”

She added the apparent cut-off means the Martley Road Shops stop is the closest to her – a 25-minute walk from her home, while services are slower as they go right through the university campus.

“I don’t drive anymore, I rely on the bus. I’m not a safe driver now. I go into town, the doctors, the library probably three, four, five times a week,” she said.

“There was no suggestion they were going to change the route and cut off Henwick Park. I can’t figure it out.”

“They are bending over backwards for the university but have forgotten the rate payers in Worcester.”

Mrs Finn said the new timetable is dependant on university term-time, but she and her husband Mike, 67, feel they have to guess when the dates might be.

However, a spokesman for First Bus has defended the changes, saying an extra service the 31U ran during term-time.

He said: “People are getting confused about it, but when the university is open they should use the 31U which will provide a service every 20 minutes [between 8.05am to 7.48pm]. When the university is closed, they should use the 31A service which will also be every 20 minutes [from 6.51am].”