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Rail user groups worried about what is happening on the buses

Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2016-01-31 08:48:14 - Graham Ellis

On 20th January I attended the West Wilts Rail User group meeting in Trowbridge, and yesterday (30th January) the RailFuture Severnside meeting in Frome. Very different groups - one a current passeneger group with a strong interest in rail history, and the other a group that looks forward - and far forward into the future.

You'll notice that both are Rail groups. And yet at both meetings we ended up having significant discussions about buses - with Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire all looking to make significant reductions in their subsidy contributions in the future - ranging from cuts from April 2016 in Dorset through to cuts starting in late spring 2017 (after the council elections) in Wiltshire.

Buses are a key ingredient in people's travel. Around 80% of rail journeys (TransWilts survey) involved transfer to another wheeled transport vehicle at least at one end of their journay on the "local" train - and it's the network as a whole that works, (or potentially fails to work). It's no good cutting off the lossmakers piecemeal and expecting the stubbs that remain to continue on as if unaffected.

A very good (Somerset) example from yesterday's meeting related to a bus that used to run between two town centres - but one end of the route into the smaller town was quieter and the route was cut back. Result? Loss of though traffic from the bus and passengers who used to go longer distances into the smaller town. So the remenant route then became unprofitable and needed support where it had not previously needed it.

I am happy to see rail groups taking a significant interest in totel transport requirements - something I've not seen much before - and I applaud them for it. John Smith wants to get from his home to his work, his appointment, the cinema, his day-out destination by public transport, and whilst he prefers a direct service he's happy to change along the way. Both bus and rail are significant; in Wiltshire there are more bus journeys than train journeys made, but the bus journeys are shorter (average 6 miles) than the train journeys (average 20 miles) so the milage by train is greater. Both are key ingredients.

Please take a look at the Option 247 web site to read about our alternative option - and if you like it, please complete the consultation along the lines we suggest. If you have any questions, please ask. If you are sure that you prefer other options, please tell the council that (and we would love to know you reasoning so that we can learn, too). Thank You.