Big changes are on the way in Warrington. The Warrington Guardian tells how municipal Network Warrington is having having its biggest network shake-up for years. The changes take effect from 2nd June.
It's good to see First standing up for themselves and the bus industry in a positive way with a letter to the Bristol Post, challenging the mis-perceptions of a Yate pensioner who had previously written to the same paper. A lot of criticism of the bus industry is justified, but some of it is not, so it's great to see some of the myths being constructively busted. First haven't always had the best reputation in that part of the world, but several initiatives over the last couple of years, such as the Bristol fares review, have shown that they are serious about providing a better service.
Councils and politicians in South Wales are picking up the pieces after Stagecoach's decision to close their Brynmawr depot and axe several routes. The South Wales Argus quotes Assembly Member Alun Davies as saying that he doesn't believe the reasons given by Stagecoach for the closures. The reason Stagecoach gave was that cuts by the Welsh Assembly Government to financial support for the country's bus services in general have made the company's Brynmawr operation unviable. Davies claims that his request to see financial figures to back up Stagecoach's decision to close Brynmawr has been refused by the company.
So Alun Davies doesn't believe the reasons given by Stagecoach for the closures. If the operations were financially viable, why else would Stagecoach pull the plug? Am I missing something here?
ReplyDeleteSuspend all rational thought - there is an election coming and a politician is involved.
ReplyDeleteI almost always find there is a political (and public conception) that all the bus companies are "swimming" in profits and whatever they do is only happening to "swell their coffers" (or words to that effect).
That seems to be the mantra behind the various cuts in financial support and other payments from central and local government. However when the industry then keeps finding "ways" of keeping services going (we don't want to make cuts) it sends out the message that there is still fat that can be cut. So we get the blame and the mantra sticks.
If the same thing happens now in south Wales and no clear service gaps are left the politician will claim he is right and that it was all about Stagecoach's profit!