AN 81-YEAR-OLD has hit out at Wrexham Council’s decision to scrap a community taxi service.
Joan Davies, of Royal Court, Gwersyllt, said she and other residents have struggled to get out and about since the loss of the West Wheels service.
It served rural communities in Coedpoeth, Brymbo, Brynteg, Gwersyllt and Llay.
Joan said she regularly used the taxis after having her right leg amputated in 2004.
The service was scrapped in January as the authority looked to make savings of £126,000 after the Welsh Government cut its supported public transport grant from £800,000 to £674,000 for 2013-14.
West Wheels cost the council £32,146 per year to run at a rate of £8.20 per passenger.
But Joan, secretary of the Royal Court and Bickerton Drive Tenants Association, said the decision has left residents isolated.
She said: “I used to use it every time I wanted to go out, whether it was to the hospital, the club on Thursday or communion on Wednesday.
“I’m an amputee and the West Wheels service used to come to my door.
“But now I’ve got to walk through the estate to get to the bus stop, which is very difficult so I’m afraid.
“Most people in this area feel the same – a friend of mine’s got a bad knee.
“We pay our dues, we pay our taxes and have done for many years so we should have some kind of facility available.”
Cllr Arfon Jones, who represents Gwersyllt West, has backed Joan’s stance.
He said: “When the West Wheels service was scrapped we were promised there would be a replacement community transport service for the whole county borough, but it seems that has now been binned.
“They’ve decided to to stop the service in the north of the county, but in the south they’ve got taxi buses with far higher subsidies.
“The service in Overton has a subsidy of £14 a journey.”