BOSSES at Trago Mills say they are facing a mounting crisis following the controversial cancellation of a vital bus route that connected one of their stores to surrounding towns.

The discount retailer, located in the Glynn Valley between Bodmin and Liskeard, says it has lost not only trade, but also several staff members after the number 11 bus service was cut.

The route, operated by Go Cornwall Bus, ran from Bodmin Parkway railway station to Liskeard via the A38 and served the Trago Mills site directly - and was deemed a critical link for both employees and customers without access to cars.

The service, however, has now been scrapped due to what Cornwall Council described as ‘significantly reduced passenger numbers’ – making it ‘no longer sustainable.’

Ellie Robertson, business developments director at Trago Mills, said: “We weren’t approached by the bus company in any way, shape or form. The first we knew about it was when a new timetable was posted at the bus stop.

“We wrote to the bus company and Cornwall Council and tried to fight the decision but, unfortunately, they have gone ahead with the changes, which has meant we have lost staff over it.

“It’s really sad on top of the redundancies that we’ve just gone through. It couldn’t have come at a worse time, it’s tragic.”

The sudden removal of the route has had immediate consequences for the store. A number of staff have been forced to resign because they can no longer get to work, while others are struggling with costly and complex travel arrangements, with some relying on lifts, car shares or multiple connecting buses just to clock in.

Ms Robertson said a social media post highlighting the issue had received a huge response from the public.

“We had dozens and dozens of comments from people saying that used to shop with us, but they no longer can, which is heart-breaking to hear. We need every sale we can get at the moment.

“We put memos up on the staff noticeboard so that people could put their name forward for car sharing. We’ve had a little uptake on that, but it’s really hard because everyone works in different departments and has different start and finish times.”

Jenny Day, a catering assistant at the store, used the service and told how the cuts had affected her.

She said: “Initially I could catch one bus to work at a decent time and one bus home. Now, I have to catch two buses and rely on lifts to get home.

“If I miss a bus or there’s a bad connection, it means getting a taxi into work, which from Liskeard costs £12, which is what happened the other day. There are people I’ve worked with who have had to leave because there is just no bus service anymore.”

Go Cornwall Bus has expressed regret over the job losses but said it cannot reinstate the route without funding. Cornwall Council has stood by the decision, citing low ridership numbers.