The revised bus timetables just released by Stagecoach have caused a great deal of anger amongst a huge number of people.
The bus company has rescheduled and suspended services, two of these are the routes 70 and 73. These two service the north east Bedfordshire towns of Biggleswade, Potton and Sandy and the villages on the way to Bedford.
Huge numbers of people will be affected by these changes, one group will be those students attending Stratton Upper School and Bedford College.
Also many people will struggle to get to outpatient appointments at Bedford Hospital.
In and around Bedford a number of services have also had their timings altered to a lesser or greater extent, which will impact on the villages of Willington and Moggerhanger.
A spokesperson for Central Beds Council said: “The 72 and 73 bus routes are currently run on a commercial basis by Stagecoach and so do not receive any support from the council.
Stagecoach recently advised us that these services have been running at a very significant loss and as such are no longer viable. We have been in negotiation with them since they notified us of their intention to withdraw to try and avoid this situation and discuss with them possible options to keep the services operating, but we have been unable to reach agreement on this.
“We are aware students travelling to and from Bedford College and from Potton to Stratton Upper School in Biggleswade use the 72 and 73 services and have ensured these requirements are part of discussions about replacement services with other bus operators.”
Grant Fage, Mayor of Biggleswade commented: “The services Stagecoach is running are commercial therefore both councils are very limited in the options available.
“I understand that Central Bedfordshire Council’s officers are doing their best to engage with the company.
“The impact on Biggleswade is likely to be very serious for those reliant on the service, particularly for elderly people who don’t live in the town centre but want to come in to enjoy what it has to offer.
“It’s not clear the extent to which this is a short-to-medium term challenge Stagecoach is facing, likely the result of high fuel costs, but their decision to reduce services is not unique to Biggleswade.
“In the long term, Biggleswade has many of the fundamentals required for a bus company to run a profitable service – a town centre that people want to visit, including those from over a dozen nearby villages; a thriving retail park; a successful industrial estate with hundreds of employees; a railway station with over one thousand journeys per day, soon to be supported by a transport interchange.
The town and nearby villages are also likely to grow further which will mean many more potential customers.
“Whilst Stagecoach’s decision is a set back, there are other bus service providers who I hope will spot the obvious benefits of investing in Biggleswade.”
Sandy Town Council were quick to condemn the manner in which the announcements have been made, saying: “Sandy Town Council condemns in the strongest possible terms the decision taken by Stagecoach East that bus routes 72 and 73 which link Bedford with Sandy, Potton and Biggleswade and currently support wider connectivity in northeast Bedfordshire are to be axed at the end of October.
“The announcement by will be met with anger and dismay and appears to demonstrate a complete lack of understanding of the vital role these bus routes play in the day-to-day life of people living not only in the towns named above but in smaller outlying villages and hamlets where they are relied upon to enable residents, young and old, to go about their everyday lives.
“It is inconceivable that Sandy will be left without a bus service and its residents, totalling around 14000, will be deprived the option of using public transport to reach their places of work or education, as well as health, recreation, banking and retail facilities in other towns.
“The lack of a bus service will also restrict access to Sandy by those wishing to visit and use our retail and other facilities which will inevitably result in a further strain on their viability.
“In the meantime, and while it is to be welcomed that discussions are ongoing with other potential operators, which we naturally hope will reach a fruitful conclusion, it is to be regretted that Stagecoach East does not appear willing or able to continue the present services to ensure all those potentially disadvantaged by the axing of these routes have some certainty in the short to medium term.
“We look to Central Bedfordshire Council Officers and Ward Members to vigorously pursue present discussions with a view to ensuring an entirely satisfactory outcome for Sandy’s residents, and indeed those of neighbouring communities, and would urge that all possible resources are made available to put replacement services in place, ever mindful of pledges made to maintain an increasingly green, sustainable and integrated public transport system.
“Finally, Sandy Town Council will press our Member of Parliament, Richard Fuller MP to intervene.”
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