Don't miss the bus

One of the issues that almost always attracts the public to parish council meetings, is the local bus service.

This week 16 people watched and participated at the start of the meeting (and also interacted with each other with some passion!). They wanted the Parish Council to support Far East Travel's possible reinstatement of the Kingsland / Queensland part of the 97H route.

For your background - this rather bizarrely took the full sized buses through the narrow streets of the village's largest housing estate, including around the children's play area. Many complaints were made about the safety implications of this, but conversely many people expressed their support as it enabled some of the area's more vulnerable residents to access the town without having to walk to and from The Street with their heavy bags. After a short time, and prior to attending a debate at the Parish Council in December, the company decided to drop this part of the 97H for their own commercial reasons.

Despite the parish council having no power over bus services, the well organised campaign persuaded Far East to reinstate the route if the parish council would support them doing so, thus placing the PC in a slightly awkward position particularly given the division in views expressed.

The outcome could be a very positive one for the village, however. The PC had the idea to enter into a formal understanding with Far East Travel, in which both parties would commit to consult each other on proposed services changes, and share views. Both the PC and the company have agreed to this, and thus, this week the PC felt able to consider any Kingsland route reinstatement. On a vote, it was agreed to support two services a day going through the estate, throughout the year. This is now down to the bus company.

But longer term, we now have a situation where, perhaps for the first time anywhere in the land, the parish council and local bus operator work in open partnership for the benefit of parishioners.

Given the dependence many people have on the bus, and the fact that we live at the end of a peninsula with too many car journeys being made, this can only be a positive development.

And maybe it will also drive an improvement in behaviour of some of the bus drivers - at least in the perception of a number of residents who have complained.

It is a pity that most of the bus 'passengers' leave their seats after the bus discussion at parish council meetings. They miss out on other interesting discussions, and decisions being made, about other matters which directly affect them.