SIR – I am writing regarding your article about the bus services and how the feedback to First Bus has been ‘positive’. I would like to suggest that this is no more than misleading and, dare I say it, a lie! Myself, friends and colleagues have experienced the revived bus service and it is in fact nothing short of diabolical.

I rely on the bus services because I am epileptic therefore cannot drive. I also work at Shire Business Park and the change in the bus service to and from here are beyond a joke. For instance, the buses run at the most ridiculous times. To get to work for 9am I have to catch a bus that leaves from my home area at 7:38. The bus after this one leaves at 8:44 which, by the time the bus gets to Shire Business Park it will leave me with 2 minutes to get from the bus stop to my desk.

Secondly the buses home are just as bad if not worse. As far I am aware the majority of the working population will finish work on the hour or half past. Many of us at my work finish work on the hour. The buses however run at 2 minutes before the hour i.e. 4:58pm. So I have to wait for the 5:28pm bus. That’s if it arrives at this time, the nearest it has come to arriving at this time to my knowledge is 5:46pm. Not only is this bus always late it is the last bus to the city centre from Shire Business Park.

Thirdly this bus service 34A doesn’t run between the hours of 8:56am and 6:28pm? Why? I know what First will say, there is another service to this area, however this service does not go to Shire Business Park, the closest this bus gets is Dover Avenue in the Berkeleys. This also means that I would have to cross the very busy 50mph road, Berkeley Way, which I am not prepared to do! I could get off the bus at Wall Meadow and walk from there, that’s a 20 minute walk! Which defeats the point of getting on a bus in my opinion.

I go on to mention that not only are these buses late, some of them are being missed out completely. I will also like to mention that some of the bus drivers’ attitudes towards passengers are disgusting and unbelievably rude. Is it a qualification bus drivers need in order to get the job? I’ve been insulted, sworn at. I’ve even been stood at a bus stop and on seeing a bus approach stuck my arm out to make it clear to the driver I wanted this bus, what did the driver do? Carried on driving past me without stopping and he was laughing! I complained about this but have had no response.

Finally I will also mention that practically the whole of Warndon Villages is now NOT covered by a bus service, just the outskirts. There is no bus from Warndon Villages to the Royal Hospital. One needs to get a bus into the city centre to catch another bus to the hospital. This is highly inappropriate especially for the elderly, disabled and people like me who cannot drive.

So I conclude that First Bus cannot be receiving ‘full positive feedback.’ I would like to strongly suggest that some head honcho of First Bus come to Worcester and take these routes and see just how appalling they are. I would also like to suggest that First Bus takes complaints seriously and that they not be ignored.

Zoe Jenkins

Worcester

Deep crisis after cuts

SIR – Rural transport in Worcestershire is in deep crisis following reductions in County Council subsidies for bus services and the latest cutbacks in services imposed by First as the monopoly public transport provider in large parts of the county.

Reductions in services in the Malverns and in Worcester city have been well documented in the local press but there are equally disturbing cuts to previously well served and sizeable villages in the Vale of Evesham such as Fladbury and Eckington.

Fladbury users who for many years have been served by a roughly two hour service of buses to Evesham, Pershore and Worcester are devastated by losing all but one bus each way which also doubles up as a schools service. This makes many work, shopping, hospital or medical appointment journeys totally impossible.

Eckington which lost its evening and Sunday services in previous cutbacks – as well as a reduction in weekday services from hourly to two hourly – now loses two buses each way and users face a 50 per cent increase in journey times to Worcester due to route changes, which makes journeys extremely unattractive and further deters potential usage.

Many users are deeply concerned at the level of the cutbacks, the justification for them, the total lack of prior consultation with those concerned and the lack of prior publicity and timetable information in the press, on official websites and at bus stops. Meanwhile the county council, as the public transport authority, appears powerless to do anything because the services are operated on a commercial basis.

Pershore Public Transport Group and the recently formed Evesham group are now seeking an urgent meeting with First Midland Red and are seeking the support of the county council, local MPs and the national rail/bus watchdog body Passenger Focus in an effort to try and reverse the damaging cuts.

JULIAN PALFREY

Chairman Pershore Public Transport Group

Cancellations are ridiculous

SIR – I have read in today’s Worcester News the letter concerning bus cancellations on route 44. The other bus cancellation I think is most ridiculous is the total absence of all the 31 buses.

This effectively isolates all of Warndon from a direct service to The Royal Hospital, Tesco Warndon, and all the factories in between. If we need to get to work or appointments etc, we have to go to town first as all buses from Cranham Drive have now been withdrawn.

The drivers say this is due to lack of usage. I would strongly disagree as I used this bus for work five days a week and every day there were many passengers on board.

This is going to cause a lot of distress to the many loyal passengers.

Ruth Cramer

Worcester

Residents are now cut off

SIR – We are constantly being told to ‘ditch the car and use public transport’ and yet the latest brainwave from First Midland Red, is to cut the services brutally and without reference to the city council. The result of this ‘cull’ is to leave the residents of Barbourne, many of whom rely on public transport due to age/health etc, with no buses from Barbourne to Worcester Royal.

Whilst we do not have an issue with the company making a profit, buses are public service vehicles and the company should be providing a public service.

I have no doubt other parts of our city are affected as well and I hope the error of the company’s ways is noted by senior management and a sensible solution found.

David Swan

Barbourne, Worcester

No surprise firm is happy

SIR – The headline to the Worcester News story about First Bus cuts to services says it all: “Bus firm pleased with the changes.” Cutting back on less profitable routes and focussing on those that make the most money is, I’m sure, very pleasing to First Bus.

However, users of the buses are certainly not pleased. Nor will non-bus users be pleased when they find congestion getting even worse, as more people are forced to drive or use a taxi. It is time for a rethink.

The wider benefits of a publicly run bus service mean it cannot be left to the private sector. If the county council wants to ensure Worcestershire is “open for business” it needs transport that serves the people, not First Bus.

Matthew Jenkins

Worcester