Sir – I see that the 406/407 bus service, serving WGC, QE2, Panshanger,Tesco and Hatfield is to cease at the end of December, leaving just a circular service (the 401) between Panshanger and the town centre. This service is being withdrawn for the follow

Sir - I see that the 406/407 bus service, serving WGC, QE2, Panshanger,Tesco and Hatfield is to cease at the end of December, leaving just a circular service (the 401) between Panshanger and the town centre.

This service is being withdrawn for the following reason, given in a letter to me from Herts Direct (the county council) after I emailed them about it.

"The service was to be withdrawn on September 30 but the county council have been paying for it on an emergency basis until the end of December. There are not sufficient passengers to make it economically viable... We are aware some passengers will be inconvenienced by the change and for this we are very sorry."

So if you have a hospital appointment or if you have used this service for travel to and from the hospital for work, you will no longer have a direct link - but that's ok it's just an "inconvenience".

If you have used this service to do your shopping at Tesco well you can find a more expensive shop.

This effectively takes out two of the four bus services currently available running through the Panshanger central route, at the beginning of the coldest and wettest months of the year, just a trifle of an "inconvenience".

I wonder why this service has not made a sufficient return? Could it be that no effort was ever made to encompass workers going to work early enough in the morning?

Haven't Arriva or anyone else involved got any business acumen, certainly here in Panshanger (and other areas)? We have no links at all with the Hatfield Business Park, Welham Green or any of the local fringe work areas (and now our own local hospital), a market awaiting, methinks!

We need an enterprising, creative and intuitive collection of people involved with public transport, not a bunch of nonchalant uncaring bureaucrats, who fail to comprehend the real need at this time in particular for dependable bus services.

Have other bus companies been approached? Why haven't our local political masters been shouting from the rooftops? They are messing with the fastest growing politically powerful section of our society - the pensioner.

I appeal to all residents to raise their objections to find an answer to the real problems this will create down the line (remember Dr Beeching?), for believe me when the recession ends oil prices will sore and we will need an alternative means of transport.

Richard Shallbrook,

Panshanger, WGC.