ELDERLY people from a village near York are being forced to fork out up to £11 on taxi fares to get to the doctor's - because of changes to a 50p bus service.

Elderly people from Rufforth have been fighting council transport chiefs for the reinstatement of an Arriva bus service which used to drop them outside the Gale Farm Surgery, in Front Street, Acomb, York.

The hourly bus now goes into Acomb via Knapton, meaning those wanting to see the doctor must get off at Acomb Green and face a taxing walk across a busy road and up a hill.

But pensioners say they are too frail to make the journey on foot and so are forced to get taxis which cost up to £5.50 each way.

City of York Council transport planners contract out Arriva to provide the service and are responsible for any route changes.

Lucy Foster, 84, from Bradley Crescent, Rufforth, said she was forced to make frequent trips to the surgery because she suffered from high blood pressure.

"It cost me £11 on taxis to get there the other day," she said. "I'm a good age and can't make the walk. It's not nice."

Pensioner Pat Hogarth, who has campaigned for many months to get the service reinstated, says the council could compromise by putting on one bus a day that goes along Front Street.

"It's a wonder any of us are still alive faced with that walk," she said.

"We often have no option but to get the taxi, which is very expensive."

Donald Ridsdill, 81, from Maythorpe, Rufforth, who is treated for arthritis at the surgery, added: "The walk is extremely difficult especially if it's icy."

Rufforth councillor Janet Hopton said she planned to take the matter up with council transport planners.

"If there are a lot of people affected by this then obviously I will try and sort something out," she said.

"It's obviously a concern."

A worker at Gale Farm Surgery said: "It would be more sensible to drop them outside the surgery."

A spokeswoman for Arriva said any changes to the route were the responsibility of the council.

A council spokeswoman was unavailable for comment at the time of going to press.

Updated: 10:22 Tuesday, January 25, 2005