Tomorrow, Monday 2nd October, sees Hornsby Travel reduce weekday Scunthorpe Town Service 22 from a half hourly to hourly frequency. The service links Lakeside Retail Park with Timberlands, Bottesford Lane, Bottesford Road, Ashby Town Centre, Priory Lane, Devonshire Road, Glanville Avenue and Scunthorpe Town Centre. The Saturday service was withdrawn in February after previously being reduced from half hourly to hourly. At one point around 10-11 years ago the service operated every 15 minutes Monday to Saturday, with Stagecoach operating half hourly alongside Hornsby Travel.
Hornsby Travel spoke to the Scunthorpe Telegraph about the changes:
"Unfortunately there isn’t sufficient income on service 22 to pay for two buses and drivers for 20 hours a day. The number of houses in the Timberlands and Lakeside area is growing but the number of passengers travelling isn’t growing. Putting up fares by a large amount to meet the shortfall isn’t an option so instead we can provide one bus and driver on an hourly timetable, making sure the peak journeys to the colleges have a larger bus. This will be sustainable without council support."
"Mr Hornsby criticised developers of the Lakeside estate for a perceived failure to plan suitable bus routes as part of the development. He said ... "There is only one road suitable for a bus. All other roads in the estate do not have sufficient road space for a bus to have a circular route in it which would give the public better access to a bus service and potentially more passengers using the service. There are also metal fences around the various areas which results in people having to walk hundreds of meters to a bus stop when it may be just outside their door. The consultation on the Lakeside housing development with bus operators and consultants was a waste of time because we were ignored. Buses and bus passengers may not be the top item to design into any new development whether it is a housing estate or retain area but they have to be planned in first. If not they are almost impossible to build in later."
"Simon Usher, the managing director for Persimmon Homes Yorkshire, one of the major developers on the Lakeside estate, said: "The public transport policy for the development was comprehensively considered in partnership with the local authority at the time of the planning application process."
I'm not familiar with the area so can't comment on the design issues raised, but perhaps a good time to point out that North Lincolnshire Council are currently running a consultation on the Scunthorpe bus network that can be accessed here and an associated council report is available on this page. In summary the consultation is part of a Scunthorpe Bus Network Review which takes into account the following:
• "An analysis of bus passenger journeys in Scunthorpe using data held by bus operators
• An analysis of whether the current network met passenger and non-passenger needs and any potential changes that might improve connectivity for customers
• An understanding of future trends and developments
• Proposals to improve passenger journeys which would then hopefully result in an increase in passenger numbers
• Potential opportunities to increase the number of commercial services in Scunthorpe
• Information from passenger feedback, bus surveys and contacts made by local people in relation to the bus network.
The aim was to develop initial recommendations arising from the review by October 2017. The council and local bus operators would need to agree to any changes, with the aim of implementing from April 2018".
Posts
Go South West Expansion in Cornwall
-
The last few days has seen another batch of service changes coming through.
The headlines here being a few late notices for DJ Watts (Torbay Buses)
which...
1 day ago
2 comments:
The problem party is there isn't enough room for two bus operates in the town. The passenger couldn't benefit from weekly travel tickets unlike the rest of the town.
Why is Mr Hornsby criticised developers of the Lakeside estate only now? Surely he should have been kick up a fuss years ago when he saw these problems?
"Simon Usher" Well he added nothing didn't he? and spoke out his backside. He cant say I dont know the area then claim to say " The public transport policy for the development was comprehensively considered in partnership with the local authority at the time of the planning application process." He just said I don't know the area???
Maybe lessons can be learned before that major development out by the motorway?
without wanting to sound like I am making sweeping assumptions/stereotypes - but the Lakeside development is of new build houses, mostly detached, usually with cars under 3 years old parked on the drives. Not your typical bus user, very few over OAP pass holders, as well, unlike the other areas of Bottesford. No amount of public transport consideration at the planning stage is going to get somebody who can afford to buy a new build house onto the bus. I expect the vast majority of new build estates are going to be the same. Sad, but true. On that basis, I think hourly is quite adequate for that area, and I would not be suprised to see the 4 routed down there all week in the future.
I agree with the ticket inter availability with 2 operators, although my understanding was that the dayrider was valid on both, but weekly stagecoach are smartcard only, which Hornsby can't accept.
Hopefully the NLC consultation leads to a new from stratch network.
Post a Comment