I’m forced to spend hundreds of pounds on Ubers every day… it leaves me struggling to get by & I’m always late for work
A NURSE has told how she is forced to fork out money on Ubers every day because of cancelled buses.
Jess Kirby has spent £371 on fares in the last two years just to get to work – and is now struggling to get by.
The urology nurse needs to take Trent Barton’s 7.32am 34 bus from Hucknall – but it’s cancelled almost every day.
The mum-of-two told the Nottingham Post: “All I want to do is literally get the bus to work and back again. Every morning I wake up with dread.
“I worry about annoying my manager who has said he can only be understanding to a point.
“When it’s cancelled in the winter we’re waiting in the dark a lot of the time.
“My daughter gets upset and that upsets me. I cried at the bus stop the other day.”
The C1 bus used to take her to the City Hospital every morning, until it was scrapped in 2022.
Now its replacement, the 34, runs just once an hour – and her 7.32am bus is cancelled “nine times out of ten”.
Although Trent Barton reimbursed her for her Ubers, it still takes weeks to get her money back.
Mrs Kirby now says she’s struggling financially – and feels ignored by Trent Barton.
A Trent Barton spokesperson said: “We’re sorry this customer has been experiencing some cancellations.
“There have been some issues on 34 with vehicle availability but our engineering team is working hard to overcome this.
“When this customer gets on a three bus in Hucknall for the rest of her journey she will be on a route which welcomed 18 brand new buses last autumn in a £4 million investment.
Where to find help
HERE are some tips for coping with money and mental health issues.
- Check if you’re entitled to any benefits at mind.org.uk and turn2us.org.uk.
- Log your spending and mood patterns in a diary to better understand your triggers. Free apps like eMoods can help.
- Delete shopping and gambling apps. Don’t save card details on websites.
- Set a regular time to tackle bills and plan a relaxing activity for afterwards. Keep documents organised in one safe place.
- Moneysavingexpert.com has a free mental health and debt guide and mentalhealthandmoneyadvice.org has tools and advice.
- Call the Samaritans day or night for free on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org.
- Contact for help: Mentalhealthandmoneyadvice.org
“Buses from Hucknall towards City Hospital are every 10 minutes during the morning rush, on a service with 99 per cent reliability.
“We will continue to invest in new buses and in our engineering team, where we are energetically recruiting, training and already seeing improvements in our lost mileage.”