A chorus of "Restore the 84" was the chant of 40 or so angry passengers who assembled at the bus terminus at The Spires, High Barnet, to campaign for the restoration of the 84 bus service between New Barnet and Potters Bar.

Such is their frustration after a year of what they say has been political time wasting, some of the protestors tried to slow down traffic in Stapylton Road.

Drivers of buses waiting on the stand waved in support and some tooted their horns as they drove by.

Metroline withdrew the 84 service from New Barnet to St Albans in April last year on the grounds it was losing money.

Hertfordshire County Council stepped in with support for an alternative service between St Albans and Potters Bar which is now being operated by Sullivan Buses.

But Transport for London refused to provide financial support for the section from New Barnet to Potters Bar.

As a result of the loss of this vital link, there has been a growing sense of outrage.

Hospital patients, key workers and school pupils have had to bear the brunt of the inconvenience with many of them having to take two buses (via Cockfosters) or the train to and from New Barnet to complete their journeys.

Hardest hit are elderly hospital patients – some from Barnet needing to get to the Potters Bar Community Hospital and patients in Potters Bar trying to get to appointments either at Barnet Hospital or Finchley Memorial Hospital.

Their plight was explained by Mrs Kathy Gayle of Potters Bar who has suffered three heart attacks and needs regular treatment at Barnet Hospital.

“It now takes me three buses and two hours to get to hospital. I get the 84 to Potters Bar station, then the 298 to Cockfosters and 384 to Barnet Hospital, and after two hours at the hospital, it is two hours to get back home. No wonder I’ve had three heart attacks.”

A group of Barnet residents from Salisbury Road have the problem in reverse. They need to get to the Potters Bar Community Hospital. Sharon Boast said that many elderly people in Barnet have eye surgery at Potters Bar and the withdrawal of the 84 has been a disaster.

Pupils from Queen Elizabeth’s School who live in Potters Bar are another disadvantaged group.  Thirteen-year-old Kavin Thooran (far left) said that a journey that used to take 15 minutes can now take 45 minutes or even longer.

He has to get a train to New Barnet and then a bus to Wood Street, but if he misses the train at New Barnet going home there is a half an hour wait.

Because the journeys are so difficult, some QE Boys’ parents are organising car-sharing pools.

Srini Rajhave said he had no alternative but to take a group of boys by car which he realised only added to congestion and pollution when it had previously been so easy by bus.

Another QE boy Gyan Nadhavajhala said it was just annoying and time wasting for boys in Barnet to get to the swimming pool in Potters Bar.

Equally aggrieved are Hadley Highstone residents (from left to right, Margaret Williams, Margaret Williams, and Ivor Williams) who have lost their bus route to and from Barnet town centre.

The protestors were united in their disappointment with local politicians for failing to restore the 84 and they said it was time someone banged heads together.

Conservative controlled Hertsmere Council and Hertfordshire County Council are blamed for not providing funds for the Potters Bar to New Barnet link – a complaint that is made equally vociferously against the Labour Mayor of London and Labour-controlled Barnet Council.

Theresa Villiers, Conservative MP for Chipping Barnet – see main picture above – said she would continue to lobby Transport for London and Barnet Council to come up with a solution. She had raised the issue in the House of Commons several weeks ago.

Ms Villiers said she agreed it might be a good compromise – which is one of the suggested solutions – if one of the buses which currently terminates at The Spires (234, 326 and 383) could have its route extended to take in Potters Bar Community Hospital and Potters Bar Station.

Jeremy Newmark, leader of the Labour group on Hertsmere Council – see main picture above – urged Hertfordshire County Council and TfL to hold a meeting to thrash out a deal to reinstate the service. TfL had offered a meeting.

He believed there were funds available in Hertsmere’s infra structure fund and within Hertfordshire County Council to help finance a replacement 84.

“We already have cross boundary services between Barnet Borough and Hertsmere such as the 107 from New Barnet to Edgware, via Borehamwood, so there is no excuse for not funding the 84 between New Barnet and Potters Bar.”