SIR — In response to Andy Lewis's letter (Free Press December 23), I have, along with many of my fellow passengers, written to Somerset County Council with regard to the proposed cuts to local bus services.

We are appalled at the lack of communication to passengers that these cuts were under consultation.

Surely not only the Free Press, but buses in general, should have been supplied by the council with notices to this effect for us to read.

We bus users have seen nothing in recent weeks to this effect and the bus operators themselves are very sympathetic to our needs.

I gather reduction in services has been on the cards for some time, but at no time were regular passengers made aware of this.

All the affected services that Mr Lewis and the Free Press mentioned will concern villagers in West Somerset to an alarming degree.

Known as Village Link services, these routes enable those not situated near major routes to get to Minehead, Williton and, to a lesser degree, Taunton.

I use three of these services regularly.

Many villagers don't have their own shop or post office any more and visiting doctors, hospitals, banks, cemeteries and ordinary shops or supermarkets becomes something of a problem if you are elderly, infirm and have no private transport.

Since the Post Office lost the contract, even TV licences have to be paid at certain outlets necessitating a bus trip.

As Mr Lewis said, we should all use this change to make our views known in order to preserve at least some of these vital links.

One bus which runs three times a week could be reduced. Two buses operate through Roadwater and we could manage with one per week of each (the 500 to Williton and 564 to Minehead).

I and other pensioners would be happy to return to fare paying if it meant saving these lifelines. Let's hope the brief time for consulation brings forth a deluge of protests which cannot be ignored.

Miss J Hand,

Roadwater.