Letter: Cut back on daily bus routes and save county town Sunday service
Regarding Shrewsbury Sunday bus services, as a non-driving resident I wish to express my very deep concern that the bus service is due to end on March 29.
Apparently, this is as a result of the two year transport funding being withdrawn as it is deemed it financially unviable.
I am unsure if there has been any public or town council consultation with regard to this decision as many people seem totally unaware of it?
I realise that services may need to be cut, but a complete Sunday shutdown is a very draconian retrograde step and there are many reasons to support a continuation of the service.
Consider the following points:
Future population expansion; the new university, multiple housing developments and Flax Mill project
The increase of Sunday trading and leisure pursuits throughout town and its periphery
Necessary access to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and its walk in centre (open daily)
More cars/ taxis could lead to traffic congestion and pollution increase in some areas
As a regular user of the number 1 service, I cannot see the logic of 52 buses currently running on its weekday service (a lot half empty), with none due to run on Sunday. Thus I would like to suggest a way forward to enable the continuation of a restricted Sunday service and save council expenditure, by changing the weekly services and only incurring the minimum inconvenience to passengers:
For example on the number 1 bus route the current weekday service could easily be reduced from 52 to 39 buses, by changing the scheduled 15 minute time to 20 minutes (three instead of four per hour).
If introduced, even allowing for normal service at peak times, this would take out over 60 buses a week on this route alone.
Other under-subscribed buses could also have adjustments made accordingly. Thus service buses could continue to run on Sundays on an hourly (nine) or two hourly (five) basis. This would necessitate advertising service times and the reasons for change.
As a passenger I would not feel inconvenienced to wait an extra five minutes for a bus in order to keep the Sunday service.
Valerie Fletcher, Shrewsbury
