A petition with 160 signatures from South Abingdon residents was presented to the County Council transport committee last Thursday.

However it clashed with another much larger petition; that of a bus through Jericho Oxford. They had about 1000 signatures, and crammed 50 people into the room, and had lots of media coverage.

The chairman of the committee, Councillor David Robertson, said the Oxford Jericho bus was being kept, and there had been no need for them to all be there. “You could have stayed in bed!” the many elderly protestors were told. Councillor Robertson blamed unfounded rumours about the removal of the bus on the press and political speculation.

As to the 44 it got largely ignored, among all the noise. Molly, who organised the petition, is very disappointed and angry. She says the new service that replaces the 44 will not be so good. The Caldecott area of South Abingdon has lost the direct route to Oxford it always had. It will be more difficult for people to get to the new bus.