‘So many problems’ with village bus service

5:00pm Friday 18th January 2013 in News By Sarah Taylor

PASSENGERS are losing confidence in a village bus service following a series of breakdowns and problems with time-keeping.

The village hopper service runs between Pershore and Evesham stopping at a number of Vale villages along the way.

The service was first introduced by Worcestershire County Council in September 2011 to bring together a number of bus routes and school services that were no longer sustainable.

But Pershore Town Councillor Julian Palfrey said there are many problems with the bus service.

“Passengers are losing confidence in the bus service,” he said. “We have so many problems with the buses. There have been so many breakdowns and compromises of safety and hopeless time keeping.”

A recent accident involving the village hopper service took place on Friday, September 14, 2012. Six elderly people were rescued from the crash involving the village hopper bus and a van at Hinton-on-the-Green but no one was injured in the accident.

Coun Val Wood added: “There is no information on the buses, it would be good to have time tables on them.” The service is contracted to Worcester bus company LMS Travel but under the terms of their contract with Worcestershire County Council they were unable to comment.

Chris Holloway, transport planning and review officer, speaking on behalf of the county council and LMS Travel said: “We are currently reviewing the village hopper service.

“Feedback we have received so far has been positive about the service, the operator and the drivers.

“We are not aware of a high number of breakdowns being reported to us, but if residents could log the dates and times issues occur and forward them to the county council we will look into it.

“We are working in collaboration with all the parish councils through which the service operates to prepare for the changes to the service, and we intend to work with them to provide local information through the parishes themselves to local residents.”

Comments(2)

thompson9100 says...
7:30pm Sat 19 Jan 13

Has anyone who actually uses the service been spoken to about this, or is it just councillors who seem to give a different message to that received by the county? I applaud good public transport, and equality good journalism, but what's the actual agenda here? Local councillor seems to have a negative opinion, but contrary to reports at county level, a crash involving the bus, on rural roads (who's fault was that then, not someone other than the bus drivers?). A bit of investigation would be good the WN but seems its a growing trend that they have forgotten this part of writing good copy.

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Jabbadad says...
10:46am Sun 20 Jan 13

Before I retired my work took me all over Worcestershire and frequently along the village roads & lanes, and I can assure you that the most scariest driving was not on the major roads including the motorways, but around the villages. With apparently no visual speed limits the locals drove at much higher speeds than were safe, and frequently in the middle of the road, then swerving away to pass oncoming traffic. In the main buses being tall vehicles gave the drivers a better view.
I did however travel back from Evesham on a First Bus, which took the route which covered the villages on the way back to Worcester, and being a nice day was really pleasant apart from the youngish Bus driver who thought he was in a sports car not a 65 seater Bus. We charged around the narrow roads, and passengers were being rolled around in their seats, by far too fast cornering speeds and late braking, when meeting oncoming traffic.
It turned what could have been a very pleasant experience into one of deep discomfort and concern.
So the combination of Big Buses and fast oncoming traffic on narrow roads just don't mix.

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