Ninety-five-year-old Eileen Gall is leading the fight for the return of two town bus services which were rerouted because they weren’t making enough money.

“If we want a bus we have to fight for it,” said Eileen, of Wellington. “If I don’t complain, who will?” Dozens of pensioners in the Wellington community have been forced to use taxis or walk hundreds of metres to different bus stops.

It comes after operator Arriva changed the route of its number 25 and 66 services.

“I feel trapped,” added Eileen, who has lived at her North Road home for more than 50 years. “It’s like going back to the dark ages.

“I could still get a bus in to Wellington but I would have to walk a quart of a mile to get it, I’m elderly, I’m 95 and have difficulty walking now.

“I still manage to look after myself although I have a lot of care but I don’t want to feel penned in.

“Now when I go out now I have to make sure I have £6 before I start just for the taxi. I feel imprisoned.

“I suppose it must be because the service wasn’t making money, it was always full of pensioners and we don’t pay.

“If we could pay a half fare I would be happy to do that.”

Telford & Wrekin Councillor Denis Allen said: “There are at least 18 elderly people whose standard of living has dropped immensely because, now that the four bus stops on North Road no longer have buses, they have to take taxis, which are very costly, to get to the hospital, medical centre or to go shopping.”

Keith Myatt of Arriva said: “We looked at the services in the area and made a decision to register commercially numbers 25 and 66 on slightly different routes that would hopefully be more commercially viable.

“Patronage data indicated low usage and we made a commercial decision.

“Anything over and above the commercial natures Telford & Wrekin Council have an option of providing a service level they consider is required.”