AN 87-year-old Liss villager is waging war against motorists who park illegally in the village centre bus bay. Peter Rawles said he was angry at the illegal parkers because buses could not pull off the road to collect passengers and he had been left stranded several times because buses drove straight past him. Mr Rawles, who is unable to walk far after a heart operation, moved to Liss four years ago after losing another battle over buses. He and his 87-year-old wife Joan, who is losing her sight, were left without public transport at their old Weybourne home near Farnham, Surrey, after the 38 bus service was axed. "We used to travel to Liss regularly on the 38 to visit our daughter, who suffers from multiple sclerosis. We totally relied on public transport and we couldn't get here anymore unless we got a bus to Haslemere, then a train and a taxi. "We moved to Liss because life had become just too difficult." "Although we are near our daughter, we are cut off from the Farnham area because most of our friends rely on public transport too," said Mr Rawles, a former RAF pilot who served in the Second World War. The couple bought a bungalow just outside the village centre and now rely on the bus to take them into Liss for their shopping, or for vital visits to see their GP. But getting back on the number 37 bus in the centre of the village is not always plain sailing. When Mr and Mrs Rawles first arrived in Liss four years ago, they found it difficult to get back on the bus because it could not pull into the lay-by and bus drivers said they were not insured to pick passengers up from the road. "Once, a kind bus driver stopped on the road for us although he said he was not supposed to. My wife slipped and tore her leg. I was told I couldn't claim because the driver said he wasn't supposed to pick us up on the road. "There are occasions when the bus drives straight past us because of the cars and then we have to wait another hour or take a taxi which costs £10. "But people will not stop parking there – they are just so selfish. There are parking spaces around the back or opposite in the pub, and round the corner there's another free car park. "These blighters are so idle and selfish that they will not walk that little bit further from the bus stop," he said. Mr Rawles said: "I went to Penns Place and asked East Hampshire District Council to help me get 'no parking' in the bus bay between 7.30am and 7.30pm outside Tesco." Shortly after his visit the bus bay was marked out with a broad yellow line denoting the bay and double yellow lines. In addition, there are two signs warning motorists not to park in the bay. But they continue to flout the law and Mr Rawles has vowed to battle on. He has called on police and traffic wardens to enforce the law and is not afraid to tackle offenders himself. "I have had a lot of abuse when I point out they are breaking the law, but they (the drivers) don't care." Now Mr Rawles is asking for the bus stop to be shortened with the installation of metal bollards. "I won't give up," he said. "I'm not frightened by people. The stupid thing is that East Hampshire District Council is now giving pensioners free bus travel, but it's not being made easy for us to use the buses." A Stagecoach spokesman said: "There have been a number of issues in the past where buses have stopped in the middle of the road due to inconsiderate parking, and sometimes elderly customers have fallen over. "It is a difficult judgment call for drivers to make. Does the driver stop and a person has to get in in the middle of the road, or do they drive on and not risk an accident? "Personally, as an ex-driver, wherever possible I used to pick people up and make traffic wait, but it depends on the circumstances. "But we request that people do not park on bus stops because it affects other members of the community," he added.
