This group of friends fear they could soon be torn apart by changes to dial-a-ride bus services.

They use the bus to get to their social club at the New Marston Pastoral Centre in Jack Straw’s Lane, Oxford.

But changes to the system, that have seen dial-a-ride buses cut from two to one in the city, mean they may not be able to get there anymore.

Bette Martin, 89, from Eden Drive, is chairman of the club.

She said: “People will stop coming to the club and we will not be able to see our friends. I’m very concerned about it.

“We’re not sure how we’re going to get about. Public transport is fair enough, but what about all the people who can’t use it?

“The anger about this is quite widespread.”

From April, Oxfordshire County Council will take over dial-a-ride across the county, running a “baseline” service after the districts stopped operating the scheme.

This will consist of only one bus a day, five days a week, between 9am and 5pm. It means Oxford, which currently has two buses, will lose one.

District councils have the opportunity to “top-up” this service but only one, Cherwell, has so far agreed to do so.

Pat Mabbutt, 72, from Kennington, runs the social club in Marston, but does not use dial-a-ride herself.

She said: “We’re all living longer and the city council should be providing another bus. There is a real need for it because some of our members would be stuck indoors without it.”

Edith Parsons, of Broadhead Place, said: “I know some of my friends won’t be able to afford to come to the club anymore and I shall miss them.”

About 40 elderly people go to the social club, with more than a quarter of them using dial-a-ride to get there.

Oxford City Council did not include service top-ups in its budget, agreed last month.

Ed Turner, deputy leader of the city council, said: “When we ran the service we had funding from central Government which was used on dial-a-ride and this was removed.”

The county council has said it has no statutory obligation to run the service but it will work with each district to minimise disruption.

The county council’s Integrated Transport Unit has been announced as the new provider of dial-a-ride services.