Bus chief to discuss cuts with passengers (From Gazette Series)

Bus chief to discuss cuts in Yate with passengers

2:40pm Monday 30th March 2009 in News By Ali Dent

A BUS chief is set to meet angry passengers at a public meeting in Iron Acton on Thursday.

In the last two weeks, First Bus has announced it is axing services from Yate into Bristol leaving up to 10,000 people stranded.

The shock revelation that the X27, from north Yate into Bristol, and the X42, from Chipping Sodbury via Coalpit Heath, will be abandoned on May 10 has led to questions being raised about the management of First Bus.

Northavon MP Steve Webb and town councillors have been inundated with concerns from worried passengers.

Mr Webb said: "I have heard from large numbers of local people who are outraged at what First is planning, especially given the large profits figures that the company has just announced. "Villages such as Iron Acton and large parts of Yate will be cut off by public transport for large parts of the day. "How are local people expected to get to medical appointments or get out to the shops?"

Mr Webb has arranged the meeting at Iron Acton Parish Hall (4pm). Commercial director of First Bus, Simon Cursio, will be available to answer questions and provide information on the company’s reorganisation of bus routes.

Mr Webb, who is holding talks with other senior executives at First Bus this week, said today’s meeting would cover the possibility of other bus operators taking over the routes which were previously served by the X42 and X27. "We are already pressing South Gloucestershire Council to make sure that another operator provides a replacement service, but we need to get First to realise that its very high fares are part of the reason why buses are sometimes not as heavily used as they could be," he said.

Cllr Ian Blair (Lib Dem, Yate North) said passengers were welcome to the meeting.

He said: "We are expecting a lot of passengers but First are going to have to do something to encourage people onto their buses again."