3 November 2023

Members of the Loughborough and NWLeics Green Party are actively supporting the Campaign for Better Buses.  Please get in touch if you want more details.

Below is the text of a letter published in the Loughborough Echo from one of our members describing issues with local bus services.  We want to keep pressure on local councils to prioritise accessible and affordable transport.

 

Privatisation of bus services a disaster

I recently had occasion to catch the No.11/No.12 bus back from town to my home near Valley Road.

I stood at the bus stop outside the former Wilkos and though the bus signage indicated that a bus was due, none showed up at all, though three University-bound buses all turned up in a matter of minutes! Quite a large number of fairly elderly and infirm people, also waiting at the bus stop, were complaining about how awful the service had become.  In the end, I gave up and walked home.

It's clear to me that the franchising of bus services to private companies has been a disaster.  There is no line of accountability, everyone just has to put up with it and suffer.  The No.11/No.12 service (as other routes in loughborough, I'm sure) provides a lifeline to people who can't drive or don't have a car.  I believe that (as the Green Party policy advocates) bus services should be returned to the responsibility of local councils (who ARE accountable) who can determine routes and frequency and standards, and in some cases take over the direct operational duty.

Until this can happen I believe, firstly, that the council should provide a clear and direct way for the public to report incidents and complaints relating to bus services, and secondly, the Council should enable the setting up of a bus users panel of four to five regular users and that these users should be able to input into meetings relating to services, facilities, timetabling, and bus service voids.

Loughborough is a growing town.  We need and deserve a decent and reliable bus service.

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