Protesters breathed a sigh of relief after hearing their mobility bus service has been saved from widespread cuts affecting hundreds of disabled people throughout Merton and Wandsworth.

Residents of Camp Road almshouses in Wimbledon Common were dismayed in September when they learned of the threat to their weekly mobility bus service.

They decided to fight Transport for London's (TfL) proposal and one resident, Joan Vincent, collected more than 200 signatures on a protest petition.

Route 862, which runs from Wimbledon to Armoury Way in Wandsworth, was saved after intervention by Elizabeth Howlett, GLA member for Merton and Wandsworth.

Mrs Vincent was unavailable for comment but Ms Howlett said: "I am delighted that the perseverance of the residents of Camp Road almshouses has been rewarded and their mobility bus has been retained.

"However, I am disappointed that Transport for London has decided to scrap all the other mobility bus routes that served Wandsworth and Merton.

"I know a request has been made for a new route to serve the area off Silverthorne Road in Battersea and I hope they will look favourably on it."

Peter Handy, TfL's managing director of surface transport, confirmed the service for Camp Road users had been retained. He said it was due to start operating on Monday afternoons instead of Tuesdays with the different route number of 918 from the start of this month.

However, the 918 is the only route out of the eight affecting users in the two boroughs to have escaped the axe.

Mobility bus routes 863, 864, 865, 866, 867, 869 and 870 have all been scrapped following London Buses' claims that the service was under used and that more of its regular buses had been fitted with ramps for wheelchairs.

Bob Wilcox, 55, who works for the Merton Association for Disabled People, said the reason the mobility service was under used was because the timetable needed to be more user-friendly.

He added the services would be a real loss as mobility bus drivers were sympathetic and the vehicle's ramps worked well.

Multiple Sclerosis sufferer Mr Wilcox, who lives in Colliers Wood, has been confined to a wheelchair since 1979 and has used the adapted public transport buses.

He claims London Buses still has some way to go before it can offer a similar quality service.

He said: "I don't dispute the buses have ramps but do they work? I've experienced a number of occasions when they don't.

"If they can provide a reliable service in America and France, they can do it over here.

"However, when they take the mobility buses away, they should have something comparable or even better to replace them. I do not think that is happening."

December 14, 2001 11:30