Buses Stagecoach cuts trigger council call for new operators
AROUND 150,000 bus journeys a year will be lost as Gloucestershire transport chiefs have failed to secure an alternative bus provider to cover all the routes affected by Stagecoach’s announced cuts.
Gloucestershire County Council leaders say they have acted quickly to try and ensure that no one would be left isolated by the reduction to bus services. They have managed to protect around 350,000 of the journeys that the Stagecoach cuts would have lost but not all the routes could be replaced.
In those cases, they say alternative ways of getting around are being promoted such as making use of more innovative modes of transport such as dial-a-ride, community transport and ‘The Robin’ which has recently been launched in the Forest of Dean and the Cotswolds.
They say personal transport planners will be on hand to talk to anyone who needs extra help. And a provider has been found for the route that serves the Arle Court Park and Ride, which is having a £20m upgrade to encourage sustainable transport and reduce congestion.
Education, skills and transport cabinet member Philip Robinson (C, Mitcheldean) said: “I promised communities across Gloucestershire that we would work tirelessly to avoid people being left isolated when these routes were cut by Stagecoach.
“In an extremely challenging context, the team have been able to save 350,000, about 70%, of these journeys. Where no bus provider could be found, we’re promoting alternative transport solutions such as dial-a-ride, community transport and the new ‘Robin’ service.
“Stagecoach has left many communities across the county high and dry. This is unacceptable to the county council and it’s one of the reasons why I reported Stagecoach to the Traffic Commissioner.
“We’re not prepared to let Stagecoach get away with treating communities this way. The people of Gloucestershire deserve better.”
Stagecoach West managing director Rachel Geliamassi said:“bus operators and local authorities have a joint responsibility to our communities - a factor we’ve made very clear in recent months as we looked to work in partnership to make the best out of a very difficult set of challenges largely outside our control.
“The fact that no alternative operators have been found to cover nearly a third of affected journeys supports our concerns over the viability of parts of the network which have been exacerbated by external factors driving the current difficult environment.”
“Our local communities are extremely important to us, and we know how vital bus services are to people in our region. Delivering a strong bus network in Gloucestershire is a shared responsibility and for our part we’ll continue to work constructively with stakeholders in the region to maximise the benefit that buses can bring to local people.”