Letter: How can peak time bus service run on time amid the cutbacks?

The bus is scheduled to leave the stop adjacent to Starbucks at 12 minutes past the hour and so far this has not happened once. The bus is usually five minutes late but has been as late as 15 minutes. It is hardly surprising that the bus cannot run to schedule at peak times when the service has been cut by 50 per cent.

I emailed the council and below is part of their reply: "From 2 November Park and Ride buses will run from each site every 20 minutes from Monday to Saturday, this will enable timetables to be made available on inbound journeys for the first time. Inbound services will operate from 7.20am each day (8am on Saturdays), with the last return service leaving the town centre at 6.30pm.

"Buses currently run up to every 10 minutes and up to every 15 minutes, which has proved to be confusing for users in terms of predicting bus arrivals and departures, and has also been logistically challenging for the operator due to congestion on route. We are hopeful that the changes should in fact make for a more reliable service than what we have at present as the operator will have a better chance of meeting the new timings."

I really cannot understand the reference in regard to inbound timetables as this has always been published on the Arriva website. If a service is being offered at peak times surely it would make sense to have extra buses during these periods especially with the onset of Christmas.

I suggested to the council that extra buses run from 8 to 9am and then 4.30 to 5.30pm but this was dismissed out of hand. Individuals who use the buses on a regular basis find it difficult to co-ordinate their travel with getting to and from work. Everyone who I speak to is extremely frustrated by the frequency of the buses at peak times but very few do little about it. I am hoping you may be able to help by getting regular users of the service to voice their opinion on this.

Jane A Bradshaw, Woore