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Topic: Salisbury - Bath Bus services (Read 10507 times)
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Nick Field
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Heard on the Radio this morning that the X4 service linking Salisbury to Bath is to be scrapped, also rumoured that the Salisbury to Swindon could be the next to go.
Cant find any online articles regarding this yet.
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Lee
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Heard on the Radio this morning that the X4 service linking Salisbury to Bath is to be scrapped, also rumoured that the Salisbury to Swindon could be the next to go.
Cant find any online articles regarding this yet.
Good grief  I would be gobsmacked if that happens. |
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Lee
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They appear to be blaming 1) reduction in public funding.
Was the X4 a beneficiary of Kickstart funding? Would the same fate await the Chippenham - Calne - Wooton Bassett - Swindon service?
2) inadequate concessionary fare agreements for the over 60s
Parliamentary questions are increasingly being asked on that issue.
I suppose that this could leave Fleur de-Rhe Phillipe's fabled Key Bus Route Network (if it ever truly existed in the first place) in complete tatters.
So , what public transport alternatives to these particular bus services do we have waiting in the wings , I wonder.........
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Lee
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WCC source quote :
We are disappointed with Wilts & Dorset bus company’s decision to cease their involvement in the X4 Salisbury-Bath bus service. However, it is important to note Wiltshire County Council has not cut funding to this route.
Discussions are ongoing with First, who also operate journeys on this service, to see if they are able to operate the entire service.
However, we do understand that new legislation will mean that, from January next year, operators of long distance services, such as this one, will need to invest more money on their vehicles and drivers.
This, coupled with the fact journey times have increased, has led to the bus operators requiring extra resources to run this route.
In the event that "First" are unable to operate all of the journeys, the county council will look into providing alternatives as it is an important lifeline to those communities along the route that are not close to a train station
With regard to the Salisbury Swindon bus service, this is expected to continue, although because of EU legislation difficulties it may be necessary for passengers to change buses at Pewsey (although the connection would be guarranteed). However as this is what normally happened up to a year ago, passengers shouldn’t notice much difference.
This is becoming an increasing problem around the Country with bus routes in excess of 50km, as EU legislation effectively classes these as long distance services to which the more restrictive EU drivers hours regulations apply. A toughening up of these rules from 1st January 2008 is making it much more difficult (and expensive) for bus companies to operate longer routes and therefore they are all having to make some tough decisions on whether they can continue to resource them or whether to hand them over to the County Council to decide what to do with.
Meanwhile we have to sit here and wait for them to advise us of their decision, with very little power to influence it.
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Graham Ellis
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This business of splitting bus routes was covered at the Travel Watch South West meeting just over a month ago, and I posted up a few more details - see http://www.firstgreatwestern.info/coffeeshop/index.php?topic=706.0There was an element of opinion that suggested that the bus companies are "fat cats" looking to take advantage of the situations of having to shorten routes, and having to carry much larger number of passengers at much lower fares - and I'm sure that it's in their commercial interest to see how they get the best out of each change to ratchet up their returns to shareholders who are (after all) their main reason for being in business. But looking on a more positive side - wouldn't the splitting of the routes be a positive incentive to make appropriate use of road and rail and integrate them much more positively? How about making a virtue out of the changes and dividing the Salisbury - Bath bus route at Warminster of Westbury train station, with timings worked out to make for good connections? You then have the much slower bus taking the intermediate and local traffic, transferring people onto the train for rapid movement over the longer distances. |
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Lee
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But looking on a more positive side - wouldn't the splitting of the routes be a positive incentive to make appropriate use of road and rail and integrate them much more positively? How about making a virtue out of the changes and dividing the Salisbury - Bath bus route at Warminster of Westbury train station, with timings worked out to make for good connections? You then have the much slower bus taking the intermediate and local traffic, transferring people onto the train for rapid movement over the longer distances. Good idea , Graham. I can feel an update to Gateway To The Future coming on (link below.) http://www.savethetrain.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=2569.msg5679#msg5679 |
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WyvusArconius
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This is surely the best time to really bang the drum about the transwilts. From what Graham reported back from WCC, they seem to not be anywhere near providing any kind of financial support for rail issues. However, with this bus issue now looming, could a concerted effort from us and other concerns push WCC to be more outspoken about an improved rail service. Perhaps they could even be persuaded to lend support to an exploration of the potiental use of restored services, which would in turn support our case for dec 08.
Thoughts anyone?
Wyvus
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Graham Ellis
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This is surely the best time to really bang the drum about the transwilts. From what Graham reported back from WCC, they seem to not be anywhere near providing any kind of financial support for rail issues. However, with this bus issue now looming, could a concerted effort from us and other concerns push WCC to be more outspoken about an improved rail service. Perhaps they could even be persuaded to lend support to an exploration of the potiental use of restored services, which would in turn support our case for dec 08.
Thoughts anyone?
Wyvus
I fear that they will spend more money with Wilts and Dorset or First and buy back the service with a subsidy ... then tell us that they can afford to support the trains even less because they're having to pay even more for the buses. |
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Lee
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« Last Edit: December 12, 2007, 11:05:57 AM by Lee »
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Lee
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Wilts and Dorset has lost the number 24 service to a rival bus and coach provider (link below.) http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/display.var.2243373.0.no_24_bus_changes_hands.phpThe contract for the service, which replaced the X4 and X5 service, was won by Bodmans after a tender was put out two months ago. Concerns that Bodmans' buses were too old fashioned have been put to rest after Bodmans assured new buses would be provided. The contract is due to start from June 1 and will cover services between Salisbury and Warminster. |
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