Tag: bus

If I were responsible of publicity at Thamesdown Transport, rather than making a fuss in the local press about the fact that they now clean the interiors of their buses more than once a day, I’d be rather ashamed that they’ve been allowed to run in such a filthy state for so long. The drivers of buses of some other companies (admittedly not local ones) have swept their buses regularly between journeys for many years. In comparison with the cost of a new bus, a broom and a couple of minutes of driver time would be insignificant.

It’s difficult to believe how quickly the local red nest manage to contradict themselves when talking about bus services in Swindon. Step forward once again Mr Montaut to maintain his impressive record of twaddle.

There is a big issue about cutting down on the amount of subsided funds to Thamesdown Transport and other bus companies. People should also be encouraged to use bus services, but it is not helping that elderly people cannot use the bus with their passes before 9am.

Wow! In the space of just two sentences, he’s criticised the level of subsidy as being too high, and then asked for something to be done that would put the subsidies up. Don’t forget either that it’s only a month since his colleague Mr Wills was accusing the council of taking too much money out of the bus companies rather than putting too much in.

Aah, it’s so nice to see that the MP for North Swindon is once again not letting reality get in the way of a quick party-political jibe.

Most of the proposed changes will leave areas of Swindon with reduced bus services despite the fact that Thamesdown Transport appear to be profitable enough to pay Swindon Borough council £250,000 a year in dividends. If the Council gave back this bonus, Thamesdown Transport might be able to keep some of the services they are planning to cut. Many constituents have already expressed their dismay about these proposals to me and I have now written to other residents affected by these changes to ask for their views. I hope that both Thamesdown Transport and Swindon Borough Council will re-think these proposals.

Hmm. The problem with that argument is that, as the council is both owner of Thamesdown Transport and provider of subsidies for unprofitable bus services, it’s all just a money-go-round. As pointed out by the bus company’s managing director, some of the services to be reduced are operated for Swindon Borough Council, not as commercial services (though some others are not). And in the bus company’s own words

Where there are growing numbers using the buses, such as in North Swindon, we propose to improve services. In other areas, where not enough use is being made of them, they would be reduced.

That’s north Swindon where the services will be improved, Mr Wills’ own constituency… just not the parts of it with a track-record of voting for his red-nest comrades.

Thamesdown Transport has published changes* to its timetables. Noticeable amongst the changes are the re-routing of service 15 away from St Andrews Ridge to serve the newer developments of Priory Vale (replacing the developer-supported service 18 which will be much reduced) and the first developments in the Front Garden, where again there is developer support*. The reason for withdrawing a frequent (every 15 minutes) service from St Andrews Ridge and replacing it with an hourly one? Low usage. I wonder where service 15 will go next, once the next set of developer subsidies have run out.

* Links are to pdf documents.

The TransWilts Express (Stagecoach appear not to do hyphens) is to get some new buses. Being an ‘express’, they’ll be luxury coaches then? Err… no. Double-decker buses actually. Route 49 may start off at a fair gallop from Swindon across the Marlborough Downs to Avebury (where Eric is no longer behind the shop counter to disorient tourists with his american accent), but then slows to a canter to take a detour to the well known citadel of Bishops Cannings before heading into Devizes. Then a trot through Seend Cleeve and Hilperton before reaching Trowbridge, a mere one hour and twenty three minutes and thirty miles after leaving Swindon. A stunning twenty miles per hour! More Trans-Wilts Trundle than TransWilts Express.

Still, with 147,780 passengers per year, there’ll be plenty of conversations you can listen in on to keep yourself entertained.