From: Saragh Fleckney <Saragh.Fleckney@
Good morning, Mr Pill,
Thank you for your email.
Please accept my apology for the delay in replying.
Please find below, responses to your points raised.
- The bus stop timetable in St Cuthberts Street (outside what was The Merton Centre) is dated 2023. Is that still relevant or has Number 7 changed?
A – The timetable dates June 2023 is the most recent timetables for the number 7 service.
- I wish you would all collaborate to ensure non digital audiences x however informed, have readable (font size) access to comprehensive timetable information. So, stops seem better than others.
A – We have working with our operators and neighbouring authorities to updates all the roadside publicity. Bus companies can amend their timetables several times a year, so these are updating on a rolling basis, as and when these changes take place.
- Borough Timetables are best with all times of buses sequential on one timetable poster, not segmentalism.
A – Roadside publicity is generated from the individual bus services registrations. Therefore, it is not possible to merge these into a time sequential format, I’m afraid.
- Has the 10.02 Uno service on Sundays been reinstated?
A – Please can you specify the location in which you are referring to the 10:02 service?
- On St Cuthberts, No. 7 is hourly on Sundays, so knowing if and how long to wait really matters. Thanks for all you do.
A – Thank you for compliment. If we can be of any further assistance, please contact my team on Bus.info@bedford.gov.uk
- On No. 8 extension to the South Wing Hospital, laudable if only the same bus wrapped round Bedford Midland from Winifred Road and Ashburnham Road en route back and people encouraged to ride round. Ideally the bus would stop Kempston Road (no crossing Britannia Road) and go via Spring Road Kempston to loop back via Ampthill Road –
A - Thank you for your suggestion. The service 8 is a commercial route that is operated by Stagecoach therefore we have no governance over how the service operates. However, will pass your comments on to Stagecoach for their consideration.
- Morrisons has had a reduced service with No. 2 cut.
A – Yes, Stagecoach decided to de-register the number 2 service as it was no longer commercially viable for them to run. Unfortunately, this has reduced the number of bus services currently serving Morrisons on Ampthill Road.
- On the whole, buses are okay and yet, I do wish some gaps like Tavistock Street, High Street, Bedford Midland Rail Station and so forth, were better served or as in Tavistock Street, are not served at all, surely one of the many buses which ply Union Street could do it, wrapping around back to Hassett Street via The Broadway?
A – The decision as to whether to serve these locations would a commercially decision by the operators. However, Stagecoach are currently looking at their town network and conducting some travel pattern modelling so I will pass this information on to them for them to investigate further.
- Now 906 is just a normal bus and not a coach, could reinstatement of picking up St Peters Street (Eagle/Quarry side/outwards) be reinstated as per that of the Rugby Ground?
A – Again, this would be a commercial decision of the operators. So, I will pass your comments on to them for hem to investigate further.
- Likewise, X5 Bedford-Oxford, to serve (outward) a new stop on the corner of Biddenham Gold Lane, to save expanded residents, having to come into Bedford and out again, meaning driving is the best option for many?
A – the X5 service used to stop on Bromham Road, many years ago, but Stagecoach decided to cease this. I will raise this with them again for their consideration.
Lack of any shop for Biddenham when so much expansion of housing is taking place, seems again, detrimental, as the nearest supermarket is again in town or A6/Bypass Corner about 1-2 miles northwards? Is this a design oversight, not even a garage with a modest food hall and toilet access for example? People having to drive in the absence of 'the local'?
A - The Council recognises the importance to communities of local shopping facilities which provide for people’s day-to-day needs. Through our local plans the Council promotes the retention and development of local shops in local centres and villages. Where places are not well served by local shops the Council will look for opportunities by encouraging a developer to provide new facilities as part of their developments. However commercial realities are such that a developer will not build a shop unit that it cannot let on the commercial market because it does not have a large enough catchment to make it financially viable. It is unfortunately the case that Biddenham is just too close (by car) to a good range of shops to make it likely that one could be successfully established in the village. Nevertheless, if a site were to become available and someone did want to open a shop in the village, the Council would not be opposed to such a development in principle subject to their not being any disturbance to neighbours.
Many Thanks
Saragh
Saragh Fleckney
Manager for Passenger Transport and Sustainable Travel
Bedford Borough Council
Barkers Lane Depot
121 Barkers Lane
Bedford
MK42 9AP
01234 228122 (ext. 42122)
Mobile: 07823 363125
Attention: This email originated from outside of Bedford Borough Council. Please be extra vigilant when opening attachments or clicking links.
Dear All,
The bus stop timetable in St Cuthberts Street (outside what was The Merton Centre) is dated 2023. Is that still relevant or has Number 7 changed?
I wish you would all collaborate to ensure non digital audiences x however informed, have readable (font size) access to comprehensive timetable information. So stops seem better than others.
Borough Timetables are best with all times of buses sequential on one timetable poster, not segmentalism. Has the 10.02 Uno service on Sundays been reinstated? On St Cuthberts, No. 7 is hourly on Sundays, so knowing if and how long to wait really matters. Thanks for all you do.
On No. 8 extension to the South Wing Hospital, laudable if only the same bus wrapped round Bedford Midland from Winifred Road and Ashburnham Road en route back and people encouraged to ride round. Ideally the bus would stop Kempston Road (no crossing Britannia Road) and go via Spring Road Kempston to loop back via Ampthill Road - Morrisons has had a reduced service with No. 2 cut.
On the whole, buses are okay and yet, I do wish some gaps like Tavistock Street, High Street, Bedford Midland Rail Station and so forth, were better served or as in Tavistock Street, are not served at all, surely one of the many buses which ply Union Street could do it, wrapping around back to Hassett Street via The Broadway?
Now 906 is just a normal bus and not a coach, could reinstatement of picking up St Peters Street (Eagle/Quarry side/outwards) be reinstated as per that of the Rugby Ground?
Likewise, X5 Bedford-Oxford, to serve (outward) a new stop on the corner of Biddenham Gold Lane, to save expanded residents, having to come into Bedford and out again, meaning driving is the best option for many?
Lack of any shop for Biddenham when so much expansion of housing is taking place, seems again, detrimental, as the nearest supermarket is again in town or A6/Bypass Corner about 1-2 miles northwards? Is this a design oversight, not even a garage with a modest food hall and toilet access for example? People having to drive in the absence of 'the local'?
Hope this is useful feedback respectively.
Not complaining, just thinking aloud for audits and hands-on better use of what we have available.
Yours sincerely,
Richard Pill
~ a regular bus user and observer. ~
cc. BRTA Bedford Forum
