Short changed..? – now updated.
Proposed change to the 6 and 7 bus services
…and presumably the 6a.
We are quoting here from an article in today’s Bath Newseum. There are proposals to shorten the service at the city centre end by terminating the route at the Guildhall rather than the station to improve reliability. Presumably it will cost the same price too.
This will add about six minutes to an able bodied person’s journey time. For the less able this might make getting to the station on public transport impossible.
I find it difficult to see how removing the intended section will improve reliability.
Our MP and both ward councillors are opposing this move. As residents of Camden what do you think?
Please reply by leaving a comment at the bottom of this blogpost.
More action: Thursday 27th January
Here’s an email sent to all the relevant elected representatives for communities affected by this proposal from First Bus.
I can see why Firstbus think this Is a smart idea (it isn’t), as obviously Manvers Street/Pierrepont Street are often highly congested and taking in the railway station and bus station adds time to the total turnaround. However, truncating bus routes on that logic is ridiculous. You might just as well say let’s not run any buses because there’s so much traffic and it all takes such a long time to get anywhere! Bath is congested and as things stand we have to live with that. Bus journeys will take longer. Get over it, Firstbus. Timetable that in if need be. It is madness to lose that connectivity between bus and rail, especially when it is the same company running both (First). Intermodal connectivity is highly desirable in a modern public transport system. It’s so obvious, why does it even need to be spelt out to Firstbus? Cutting the bus routes short like this is really retrograde, it’s not even as though you could sensibly connect to another bus once you reach Guildhall. Nonsensical idea, in conformity with the overall arrogant contempt that privatised bus companies generally hold their passengers in.
For us personally this is not a problem.
If it does improve reliability so much the better.
We’ll wait and see.
I quite agree with John Eames. we need a bus to go to the station.
Seems absolutely ridiculous. What advantage is there for anybody in this change.
At most times of the day I prefer to rely on the bus service to take me to the station with my suitcase.
Taxis do not always turn up either and are not cheap.
I would strongly oppose this change. A direct connection to the station is essential. Take it away and there will be an increase in private car journeys and taxis.
Thanks everyone thus far. I’ll direct our councillors’ attention to all our comments. If others want to add weight to the discussion please do so and I’ll pass those on too. Jeremy
I’ve added to this post, the email I’ve just sent to all our relevant elected representatives.
Absolutely ridiculous of course people MUST be able to get to the station. Who’s daft idea was this? Why do we pay our council tax for this rubbish!
This is complete madness – people using the service to get to the bus and train stations invariably have bags and suitcases and asking older people to trundle them so far is unreasonable. Plus how are you supposed to get home from the stations especially later at night?? And thirdly, the buses are often full of school children at about 15.30/45 from the station and Debenhams stops – so full that other passengers can’t get on – so how are all those children supposed to manage? Has anyone actually looked at how passengers use this service route?
Though it would be good if the service was more reliable it should not be at the cost of having a bus service to the station for residents of NE Bath. Public transport has to be joined up.