Mr Ockenden has spoken out after Hampshire County Council stepped in to fund the part of the no 38 service route, which runs between Petersfield and Liss Forest, due to be withdrawn by commercial operator Stagecoach on June 1.
But the county council has said that it cannot at this time justify funding the route between Liss Forest and Whitehill because research has shown Òvery fewÓ people travel by bus between these two locations, except at school times on school days.
Stagecoach, which has been running the service for five years, informed Hampshire County Council earlier this year that it planned to withdraw the no 38 through service from Portsmouth to Aldershot because the service is operated without financial support of any kind.
The operating costs of the service must, therefore, be covered by revenue from passengers and while Stagecoach has reported some passenger growth over the time that the service has operated, it said it has not been enough to ensure the future of the service.
The county council announced on Tuesday that it is able to provide a £60,000 subsidy to maintain the service between Petersfield and Liss Forest because it meets value-for-money criteria.
Negotiations between the county council and Stagecoach have resulted in the service being linked to what remains of service 38 to provide a through-service from Portsmouth to Liss Forest.
Schooltime journeys from Bordon and Whitehill taking pupils to schools in Petersfield have also been secured.
But Mr Ockenden told The Herald that this is not enough.
ÒI still think that the decision is disgusting. It should be all or nothing. What we are being offered is a two-tier transport system. Yet again the people of Bordon will have to suffer,Ó he said.
And he added: ÒThe service should be looked at properly because no community should be without a bus service.
ÒThere is a requirement to use that bus; IÕm not saying all the people of Bordon and Whitehill use the service but a number of them do and by not providing the service they will become prisoners in their own community.Ó
The move follows a campaign by Liss residents, who rely on the number 38 as their main link to Petersfield.
Stagecoach had proposed to split the service in two, with buses running between Aldershot and Whitehill, and between Portsmouth and Petersfield.
However, this would have left a gap, with the villages of Greatham, Liss and Liss Forest relying on the much less frequent no 72 service.
The county council said that its subsidy would enable the service from Liss Forest to Petersfield to continue from June 2 up until the end of October.
The service will then be reviewed by the county council to see if a different or most cost effective solution can be found.
However, all is not lost for villagers of Greatham, who the county council has said will be most affected by StagecoachÕs decision to cut the service, because the council has assured them that it will continue to seek a viable solution.
Keith Estlin, Hampshire County CouncilÕs executive member for environment, said: ÒUnfortunately, our research has shown that very few people travel by bus between Liss Forest and Whitehill, except at school times on school days, and so we cannot justify funding this route.
ÒWe will continue to seek a viable solution for Greatham residents who will be most affected by StagecoachÕs decision to cut this service.
ÒWe have run our resources in the most cost effective way to maintain a service for as many passengers as possible, and IÕm sure they will appreciate the efforts we have made.Ó
District and parish councillor for Greatham, Judy Onslow, said: ÒAs district councillor for Greatham I am very concerned that the people of Greatham, who are totally dependent on public transport, will be virtually cut off with the threatened removal of the 38 bus route.
ÒWith all the talk of sustainability encouraging people to use public transport Greatham finds itself without a bus link.
ÒHaving spoken to Hampshire County Council there is consideration to supporting a bus to be diverted through the village. I hope we will hear before June 1 that this has been put in place.Ó




