'I’m absolutely heartbroken' - Pensioner speaks out as 'lifeline' community bus service in Northamptonshire set to close

The ABILITY bus service, which offers minibus transport for elderly and vulnerable residents in rural communities with limited public transport, announced that it will be closing on April 13, due to a number of funding challenges and the loss of its office and parking premises.

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) has said work has already begun on “ensuring everyone has access to the services they rely on”.

Glynis Rolph, 74, from Hackleton, told the Local Democracy Service (LDRS) that she had been using the minibus service for the last three years, since her husband passed away, to get out in the community.

Reflecting on the news of the closure, she said: “I’m absolutely heartbroken – it’s a lifeline. They took our bus service away some years ago. I think it was about that time that ABILITY stepped in and rescued us.

“When you haven’t got a bus service and you can’t walk that far, you tend to sort of stay indoors because the only alternative is taxis, which can be ever so expensive.

“When you have lost your partner that you have had with you for all those years and you’re suddenly on your own, it is so demoralising. You’re not getting out and seeing the world, and you feel as if the world’s out there and it’s been cut off from you.

“It’s given me a little bit of my independence back because I have a walking stick and my walking around is not brilliant, but I can go on these trips. All of the people on there are so friendly and it makes you feel like you’re not alone in the world.

“I’ve made some really good friends from the trips – it’s almost like family.”

The service covers residents in the Banbury, Brackley, Daventry, Northampton and Towcester areas and provides transport to get people to the shops, medical appointments or into town on a weekly basis, as well as planned day-trips further afield.

Glynis said she has a few more trips planned before the service stops running in April, but that she went on her last trip to Bicester on Monday March 16, which was “sort of like a big goodbye”.

West Northants councillor Daniel Lister (Conservative), who represents the Long Buckby ward, told the LDRS that the closure of the service would be “deeply worrying” for the many residents who rely on it every day.

He added: “Community transport is so much more than a way to get from one place to another. For older residents and those with mobility difficulties it provides routine, familiarity and regular social contact that is genuinely difficult to replace, and which plays a real part in keeping people independent and connected.”

Since the announcement of the closure WNC says work has already begun, “engaging directly with other community transport providers, volunteer car schemes and parish councils to understand capacity within the local sector and identify where resident need is most urgent”.

The council will also soon launch a £173,000 Community Transport grant fund for 2026/27, inviting local transport providers to submit an application for grant funding.

Councillor Richard Butler, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport at WNC said: “We understand the importance of these journeys for many residents - particularly those whose needs are not met by commercial bus services and who may find private transport unaffordable. Our focus now is on ensuring they continue to have access to essential services, social opportunities and community connections.

“By working closely with local community transport providers and parish councils, and by launching this year’s grant funding, we are committed to supporting a strong and sustainable network for the future and ensuring everyone has access to the services they rely on.”

WNC added that it will work with partners over the coming weeks to “deploy resources where they are likely to have the greatest impact”.