CHANGES to bus routes in Petersfield were criticised this week by people who say that all roads now lead to Tesco.

One Moggs Mead resident says the new timetable has left her stranded.

Bus operator Stagecoach announced the series of changes which were introduced to coincide with the opening of the Tesco store on The Causeway.

The new timetable was implemented with funding from the superstore and affects three services which operate in the town, throughout the surrounding villages, and between Petersfield and Chichester.

The new times and routes for services 54, 94 and 95 were advertised as a ÒbenefitÓ to local residents, providing extra journeys to more stops in the town.

But Jennifer Hebden from Moggs Mead said the latest changes would make it extremely difficult for her to visit her father, who lives near Chichester, or to take her wheelchair-bound husband to see his consultant at St RichardÕs Hospital.

She said: ÒWe used to use the 54 bus, which was a link between Chichester and Petersfield. There was one every two hours.

ÒI thought the idea of this was to join the two towns and serve the villages in between.Ó

But now the 54 service has been changed.

Instead of making its way through the town via the High Street, College Street, the one-way system and Moggs Mead, the bus takes in Tesco and exits Petersfield by Sussex Road.

This leaves many residents in Moggs Mead, Durford Road and the Rival Moor estate without a service to South Harting and Chichester.

Mrs Hebden said: ÒI simply have to get to see my father and my husband needs to visit St RichardÕs Hospital in Chichester. These changes leave us stranded.

ÒThe only alternative now is to catch the 94 bus, which has been turned into a circular bus around Petersfield and takes in Tesco.

ÒBut that involves a two- minute bus changeover which I would not trust. I wouldnÕt dare try that. If I missed it for any reason I would have another two-hour wait in town.Ó

Petersfield town councillor and district councillor Brian Dutton said: ÒI am rather concerned that there was no consultation with East Hampshire District Council about these new routes and services.

ÒI believe the residents of Durford Road and Rival Moor Road have been forgotten.

ÒThey should be treated exactly the same as anyone else in this town. We all pay the same taxes and should have the same opportunities.Ó

Each of the re-routed bus services now takes in the Tesco superstore which opened officially on Monday morning.

Mrs Hebden believes the changes have been made to suit the superstore and have disrupted many bus services in Petersfield.

She said: ÒIf Tesco is that desperate to get customers to the new store it should provide a little bus of its own.

ÒThe 54 service is meant to be a route between the two towns of Petersfield and Chichester.

ÒI donÕt see why people canÕt just catch a bus to The Square and walk past the police station and use the lovely new path Tesco has built which leads right up to the new store.Ó

As The Herald went to press, no one from Stagecoach was available for comment.

Copies of the new timetable are availble from the tourist information centre in the Petersfield Library. For local Stagecoach information call 0845 121 0170.