Martell Drive resident Cecilia Keeling said she felt as if she was fobbed off after attending Bedford Borough Council’s Climate Change Committee.
“Since the bus service was introduced, Stagecoach have used mainly double-deckers but they’re too big for the road and we’ve said time and again that single-deckers would be better. The diesel buses cause pollution and we came to the Committee to ask about electric buses.
Cllr Royden came out with a long lecture about how electric vehicles would be unsuitable and too expensive for the Council to support. We felt his words were patronising and unhelpful – it may be that this isn’t a feasible solution for now but I didn’t feel he was on our side.”
Cllr James Valentine said: “The bus service along Martell drive has not been good. Residents have asked repeatedly for smaller single decker buses to be used, and I have passed these requests to the Council, but apparently Stagecoach haven’t responded.
Because the buses are so large they can’t safely pass each other on a bend but two occasions, they’ve tried to do this and crashed into street furniture at the side of the road, damaging the buses and alarming residents. It’s time this farce came to end and the bus company should better consider residents’ and passengers’ needs.
He added “I’ll continue to press for bus services in Kempston West that are fit for purpose.”
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