Evening, Sunday and other buses from Swindon under threat.

[grahame]

I posted about trains (up from Westbury) to matches a couple of years back ... they're now doing well and great to see many followers on the trains - match days and other days.  (thread was http://thetownend.com/index.php?topic=54578.0 )

I'm now on about the buses that run from Swindon to / from Wiltshire destinations.

The following bus services from Swindon under review - Wiltshire Council Consultation.
* Swindon - Malmesbury (All Services, 31, Coach Style))
* Swindon - Marlborough - Burbage - Tidworth (All Services, 80, Stagecoach West)
* Swindon - Marlborough - Pewsey (Late afteroon and evening, X5, Salisbury Red)
* Swindon - Avebury - Devizes - Trowbridge (Part and Sundays, 49, Stagecoach West)
* Swindon - Cricklade (Evenings, 53, Stagecoach West)
* Swindon - Royal Wootton Bassett - Lyneham - Calne - Chippenham (Evenings and Sundays, 55A, Stagecoach West)

Options 1 to 4 would reduce / remove some of these services. Option 6 would remove them all. Our community group suggests an alternative - "option 247" - which re-oragnises routes, ticketing, connections  and information systems, resulting in a quality network which serves current and future passengers.  It can be done by operators, councils and passenger groups working together, cutting out duplication, simlifying (not 'reducing') fares - details including specific ideas for some areas at http://www.option247.uk.

Please - if we can get a lot of interest / write-ins for the council to take us seriously, it can be done.   It's been done in London and Bournemouth.  It's being done in Essex and South East Wales ... it's being investigated in [long list].  Please take look. Fill in the survey saying "no" to 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 and write in "option 247" at question 25. Your inputs can make a differences as they have with the trains.

[Arriba]

More evidence of our nation's rapid decline.
This is happening all over the place. When the population is rising and the roads getting more and more congested a bus service should be embraced and improved.
Places are becoming more isolated as profit is put before anything else. Disgraceful !

[Samdy Gray]

But counter-intuitive to your argument, the reason these buses are stopping is because not enough people are using them. That's capitalism for you. If there's no profit in it, the bus companies won't keep those routes.

I don't think it's evidence of a 'rapid decline', I think it's just technological advancement. Buses aren't in demand. Give it 20 years when public transport is all autonomous electronic vehicles and it'll probably be a lot different.

[Reg Smeeton]

But counter-intuitive to your argument, the reason these buses are stopping is because not enough people are using them. That's capitalism for you. If there's no profit in it, the bus companies won't keep those routes.

I don't think it's evidence of a 'rapid decline', I think it's just technological advancement. Buses aren't in demand. Give it 20 years when public transport is all autonomous electronic vehicles and it'll probably be a lot different.

The bus companies though receive subsidy from councils, because public transport in rural areas is seen as a benefit to the community. In Wilts it's about 140 of the 270 routes that need a subsidy to run. In this case it will be the subsidy which is going as part of ongoing Tory austerity.

[Arriba]

Reg beat me to it.

I think they're used as much as they used to be but with funding withdraws left right and centre any services which are no longer deemed as profitable are cut.