David Kendall and Wendy Way are celebrating after winning a nine-year campaign to get the 498 bus to go through the Queen's Hospital grounds.

A Brentwood group wins nine-year campaign to get bus through Queen’s Hospital grounds

Safira Ali, Senior reporter Tuesday, March 12, 2013
5:45 PM

A travel pressure group is celebrating after a nine-year campaign to get a bus service to go into the grounds of Queen’s Hospital was finally given the go-ahead.

The 498 service, which is operated by First buses, will start on Saturday, April 27, and means that bus users from Brentwood will now be able to get off in the hospital grounds.

Members of the Brentwood Bus and Rail Users Association (BBRUA) said the change will make a difference, particularly for elderly users, who up until now have had to either wait for another bus or walk to the hospital from Romford town centre.

BBRUA founder and secretary David Kendall said: “One of the reasons the association was first formed all those years ago was to fight for a direct 498 bus service into the grounds of Queen’s Hospital because we knew how important it was to so many Brentwood bus users.

“Over the years we thought we were close to getting a breakthrough but our hopes were always dashed. This time we have been told it is definitely going to happen and we are all delighted.”

He added: “I would like to recognise the efforts made by our former chairman Wendy Way for all the work she put in alongside others in pushing and campaigning for this service.

“Wendy and I attended many meetings and wrote a lot of letters asking for the change to happen and I know she will be over the moon to hear this news. I would also like to thank all the members of our association for their support and Brentwood Community Transport for proving to First and others that a direct service into the grounds of Queen’s Hospital always was a commercially viable proposition.”

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