CAMPAIGNERS are calling for change, after pensioners were left waiting in the cold for a bus that had been cancelled.

The elderly passengers, who rely on the 65 bus in Coaley, were left stranded, unaware that their bus had been re-routed around the village, after a road closure in Nympsfield.

The pensioners’ plight came to light at the latest meeting of the Cam & Dursley Transportation Group (CDTG).

But the group’s members say that a lack of information for bus passengers is a problem throughout the area.

Although live information display boards are available at many bus stops across Gloucestershire, there are currently none in and around Dursley.

Mobile phone users can find out what is going on via a special transport app, GlosTalk.

But this isn’t an option for everyone. A portion of passengers, including some older people and some people with special needs, either don’t have a mobile phone, or don’t use it in that way.

“Even at Dursley bus station, if a service is cancelled, this is not communicated to those waiting at the bus stops,” said CDTG’s David Smith.

“Passengers who don’t use, or aren’t used to mobile phones have not been able to find out what is going on.

“The only source of information for them has been to ask bus drivers of other services if they know anything.”

A spokesperson for bus firm Stagecoach said: “The local authority do not provide real time infrastructure in Dursley. We have a customer services representative who is here to take journey and passenger enquiries, 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday.

"We also use Twitter and live journey planner online for journey updates.

“With regards to the 65 service, we were given late notification of a road closure in Nympsfield and did the best we could to advertise on Twitter and on bus in the week before the change.”

Tom Main, Transport Operations Manager at Gloucestershire County Council said: “We recognise the value of providing Real Time Passenger Information Systems (RTPI) at bus stops.

“RTPI displays have been installed along key bus routes and we’re happy to consider all RTPI requests should funding come available.

“We encourage bus users to download our free and easy to use GlosTalk phone app, designed to assist everyone who needs to access real time bus information within Gloucestershire.”

CDTG chair Wendy Thomas said: “We are hugely in favour of Real Time Passenger Information Systems.

“They provide on the spot, live information for passengers waiting for a bus to arrive.

“Whilst we appreciate how useful apps are, and we encourage passengers to access these tools, we also need to remind GCC that not all bus users have smart phones or are able/willing to use apps.

“Many bus users are elderly and may not have access to smartphone technology.”