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Topic: The County's reaction. (Read 2011 times)
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Graham Ellis
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"""Cllr Jeff Osborn, chairman of the overview and scrutiny committee, said: "It is important that continued pressure is applied on First Great Western and the Government over poor performance as a result of the new franchise timetable.
"As such, the scrutiny role of the county council is vital in allowing elected members to gain a greater understanding of the issues and represent the concerns of the public."
A council spokesman added: "Unfortunately the county council has no direct power over the rail industry. However, it will continue to push for a solution that mitigates the impacts where possible, including working with others to make the case for Wiltshire.""""
Don't let's forget that Wiltshire Country Council is the Transport Authority and has a responsibility for all transport in Wiltshire even if it has no direct control over the railways. It can (and I bellieve SHOULD) choose to do rather more than push - it should require and it should contribute to the solution. Let's not forget that the council has ploughed millions into speculative investigateions for road improvements of late; a fifth of that money would have safeguarded a train service for the next ten years.
Please - WCC - don't look to mitigate the effects of last December's one-cut-too far. That's accepting defeat. Please take steps to ensure we're provided with an appropriate service.
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Lee
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Also from the Bath Chronicle article :
"The council also discussed how the greatly reduced level of train service at Melksham in the new timetable was likely to cut the number of rail passengers, which could in turn put in peril proposed improvements at the station.
The county council has previously proposed to link the station with the A350, improve parking and integrate the station with bus services. However, it has now indicated that such changes "would cease to be viable" should the number of rail users in the town decrease."
Patronage HAS now decreased to less than than a handful of passengers.
I believe that what is happening now , which in my view could well lead to closure , is COMPLETE MADNESS on the part of all responsible.
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Graham Ellis
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Pretty depressing, frankly .... while saying that pressure should be kept up, the county is in effect taking actons and making statements that reduces the pressure. And, as you say, Lee, the effects of this could be a completely mad set of follow up decisions.
In spite of the words used, I don't believe that the council IS representing the views of the public. From my view, I see many, many people who feel that an appropriate services is 2-hourly or better, and no-one suggesting that we should be left with a service that's so infrequent and poorly time that it's useful to very few people with other facilities services provided to mitagate the effect of the failure to provide something reasonable. Where DID the council spokesman get the idea that this is what we want and need?
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