Reinstated bus has given us 'our lives back'

Jane Cairns (L) campaigned to bring the bus service back

A bus campaigner has said she "has her life back" after a service was reinstated near her home.

Jane Cairns, from Ashton Vale in Bristol, had campaigned to bring back the 23 bus route to the area, which was lost last April following cuts made by Transpora.

She said she put her success down to the "pressure" she and others put on the bus company.

Transpora previously said it had decided to bring back the service to help the community stay better connected.

Ms Cairns held a meeting after the cuts were announced

The route, which runs out to Bedminster and Bristol city centre, was restored this week.

Speaking to BBC Radio Bristol, Ms Cairns said she has been to the doctors, to get her eyes tested, as well as into Bedminster and town, all in the space of a few days.

"It's lovely, it's beautiful - we've got our lives back," she said.

"You're set free, you're released."

She added that the return of the bus means she is able to avoid bad weather if she needs to head out - something that is crucial for her health.

"Now if it's raining, I can just go to the bus stop only up the road," she said.

Ms Cairns invited local councillors to the meeting

'Plod on'

Reflecting on the campaign, she said: "I could sit down and laugh because there's me with my breathing and walker, Kim and Sheila with their sticks, it's hilarious really.

"As soon as they took the bus off, I put a sign on the bus stop to say we'll have a meeting, and we had a good turnout and we stopped the bus from going.

"If it weren't for the other girls, I would have given in. It got me down so much."

She said her message to others trying to campaign for change was to "stick together and plod on".

Speaking in February, head of commercial at Transpora Group, Simon Newport, said the operator had decided to bring back the route after "listening to what's been going on in the local community".