and https://www.gov.uk/
We've had these kinds of consultations and announcements numerous times and what has happened is frequencies are scaled back and prices even at £3 plus cancellations, unreliability and a lack of buses linking with the main principal Bedford Midland Railway Station, shows a lack of coherence and join-up-ness to a service ethos and a business model which cannot stoop down to where people are at. I email as a layman and will also be sending out via my Bedford Area Rep role in BRTA to make others aware of both opportunities and challenges ahead.
My layman's observation is:
1. Stop outside Pizza Express/The Quarry in St Peters Street, timetable was updated, thank you, but a. would welcome exploration of 905 calling there and also that service to loop via Longsands St Neots to the principal railway station and back and b. also extend to link looping style with Cambridge Central Railway Station with through ticketing encouraged as 905 is a principal linking bus in the absence of any rail for 100 miles north of London on the east-west axis. If you can't see potential there including more footfall and spend for Bedford, something is lacking?
2. My observation is that Nos 5, 6, 10, 3 and 7 are fairly well used plus Kempston buses. However, frequency cut on 10/4 and 7 has blighted usership, waiting an hour out in dark winter months and cold or even in time-use value, is a big ask. Any investment should see these frequencies improved to a basic x2 buses per hour, merge routes should also be considered to speed end-to-end durations up, given the delays of congestion.
3. Gant Palmer 74, 44 fairly well used, 73 a vital link but more to bridge with the new Biggleswade-Cambridge bus service should be done, not isolation because operators and councils cannot talk with each other?
4. The Yew Tree at Pizza Express-The Quarry stop in St Peters Street Bedford, hangs over at 5'8 above the pavement and needs lopping back to align with the garden fence. It casts a shadow on the bus stop, the pavement, a hazard for pedestrians, cyclists and bus users. Likewise an audit on built bus stops should be done with a view to a. foster cleanliness, mending holes in roofs, clearing ivy, disinfecting floors (Olney is a disgrace for the latter) and b. maybe a competition to raise vigilance, standards and local pride?
5. Not all are digital, paper posted timetables do wonders as long as large enough font size and decent lighting are available during the winter months especially. RTI for the Kempston Stop in St Pauls (outwards stop) was vandalised several years ago and has never been replaced despite numerous different operators serving it.
6. I've said it before, the No. 8 via Queens Street goes the wrong way. It should go out via St Paul's and call at North Wing Hospital site, Old Folks Home in Park Avenue, the 'to town' stop Roff Avenue and loop to bus station via a new stop in Bromham Road (The New Ship In area), serve Bedford Midland and loop to bus station via Midland Road and Greyfriars for outwards to Great Denham. That, well publicised, would save walking across busy roads in Park Avenue and boost patronage. Gaps in service frequency, like Saturday (6th) no No. 8 looping for over 1 hour, is disconcerting, a lack of available staff or buses and no verbal communication make bus usage a lottery of reliability. That undermines confidence.
7. The sorts of people who use buses apart to commute, are old folks (free bus passes), young people (school etc), women and disabled people, but getting people out of cars to buses is a real challenge, but not a 'mission impossible' if we're willing to work at it without costing the earth. If price, frequency and going where people wish to get to/from and hours of service can be got right, the world is an oyster, no pun intended! Please lobby to extend a bus pass for all 18-Retirement ages and those on £21, 000 p.a or less to all on welfare benefits, to encourage patronage and maybe include off peak rail as well for inter-modal travel. Savings include less congestion, less waste of space, more usage, footfall and spend and raising the game on cutting emissions in a meaningful manner. Travel broadens the mind, affordability gives a leg-up to enable social mobility as well: https://post.parliament.
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