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Nov. 14th, 2007
North Herts 2007/8 bus service cuts
Nov. 14th, 2007 12:28 pmQuite a few cuts happening, largely as a result of North Herts District Council reducing financial input to Hertfordshire County Council.
From Sunday 25th November 2007
Arriva The Shires 54 (Hitchin – Stevenage, evening & Sunday service) 2000, 2200 from Hitchin and 2045, 2245 from Stevenage to be withdrawn, daily. As a result, no evening service on this route, any day of the week, and Service 54 now only runs during Sunday daytimes.
Arriva The Shires 97 (Hitchin – Stotfold) 2044, 2246 Daily from Hitchin and 2115 Mon-Sat/2121 Sunday from Stotfold journeys to be withdrawn. As a result, no late evening service on this route, any day of the week.
Arriva The Shires 99 (Hitchin – Baldock, evening & Sunday service) 1935 Mon-Sat from Hitchin to be withdrawn. 2004 Mon-Sat from Baldock to be withdrawn. 2135 Daily from Hitchin to be withdrawn. 2204 Daily from Baldock to be withdrawn. As a result, no late evening service on this route, any day of the week. Service 99 now only runs during Sunday daytimes.
From Wednesday 2nd January 2008
Richmonds Coaches 4 (South End – Bishops Stortford, Thursdays) Service withdrawn, last day of operation presumably to be Thursday 27th December.
Richmonds Coaches 16 (Royston Burns Road/Yeates Close – Studlands Way, Mon-Sat) Withdrawn between Burns Road/Roysia Surgery and Burns Road/Yeates Close to ensure reliability, following other withdrawals).
Richmonds Coaches 17 (Royston Burns Road/Yeates Close – Coombelands Road or Coronation Avenue, Mon-Sat) Service withdrawn entirely. Last day of operation Monday 31st December.
Richmonds Coaches 20 (Brent Pelham – Bishops Stortford) 0725 from Brent Pelham will now terminate at Dunmow Road Services, ‘saving Birchwood children from having to cross Parsonage Lane’, off-peak service on Thursdays retimed and extends to Anstey via Brent Pelham, as a partial replacement for Service 26.
Richmonds Coaches 22 (Buntingford – Hitchin, Tuesdays & Saturdays Only) Services withdrawn, last day of Tuesday operation will presumably be Tuesday 18th December. Last day of Saturday operation to be Saturday 29th December.
Richmonds Coaches 23 (Royston – Hitchin, Tuesdays only) AND 423 (Hitchin Local, Tuesdays only). Services withdrawn, last day of operation will presumably be Tuesday 18th December.
Richmonds Coaches 24 (Buntingford – Royston and Lower Gower Road/Beldam Avenue Town Service, Wednesdays & Fridays only) Curtailed to operate between Roe Green and Royston (including town service section) with revised times. Friday service withdrawn, last day presumably Friday 28th December.
Richmonds Coaches 26 (Royston – Bishop’s Stortford, Thursdays only) Service withdrawn, but partially replaced by Service 386. Last day of operation will presumably be Thursday 27th December. (not to be confused with Stagecoach 26 Royston – Cambridge, which continues unchanged).
Richmonds Coaches 43 (Chrishall – Royston) Wednesday shoppers services (presumably 1002, 1300 from Royston and 1020, 1335 from Chrishall Garage) to be withdrawn. Last day of operation will presumably be Wednesday 19th December.
Richmonds Coaches 386 (Buntingford/Puckeridge – Bishop’s Stortford) Thursday service revised to operate Royston – Bishop’s Stortford via Buckland, Chipping and Buntingford, as a partial replacement for Service 26. Bury Green will no longer be served by this service at any time.
The change to the 17 will save a Vario minibus (V357 usually). This bus then goes onto work the evening peak 43, which will presumably be done by something else. Service 27 on Wednesday daytimes is interworked with the 43, so if the 43 is to be withdrawn, it is presumed that the 24 will run to new times to allow the same bus to be used – but that is TBC. Apart from Mondays, it seems that the service cuts (excluding the 17) are enough to save a Solo/Vario minibus. The level of cuts is fairly substantial (for details click each link).
Anger over cuts to town bus service
ROYSTON'S No 17 town bus service is to be axed.
And the move is blamed on North Herts District Council's decision to end its £130,000 subsidy to Herts County Council.
But Royston's county councillor Doug Drake is angry that the decision came without even a discussion between members at County Hall.
He believed that the county council's transport panel should have taken the decision over the future of the service - and not transport portfolio holder Cllr Stuart Pile.
Cllr Drake said: "People have come to depend on these local daily bus services and many build their lives around them.
"These services should not be removed due to financial constraints with North Herts District Council," he said.
The No 17 service is used by about 1,000 passengers-a-week.
"There is a demand for this service and it will be badly missed," said Cllr Drake.
He is raising the question on whether there had been any "serious conversation" between the county council and the district council over the impact of the cuts.
Cllr Drake said he believed the district council's Royston area committee may be looking at ways to save the town service.
The issue was raised during the area committee's meeting in September when members were told that support for the service would cost an estimated £50,000-a-year.
Members suggested combing the No 17 service and the No 16 and adjusting the timetable to ensure a service would continue.
In the end, the committee decided that there should be discussions about the removal of a "vital" service and to see whether alternative funding could be attracted to maintain the service.
Cllr Drake described the axing of the bus service as "a very negative move".
He said: "It's a sad day when such services are lost - and it certainly isn't progress in today's world."
Cllr Drake added that the decision has been taken "not in the best interests" of people.
The county council said reductions in bus services were to be introduced in January "in response to the withdrawal of funding from North Herts District Council".
The cuts will be on town services and rural services in the Royston and Buntingford area.
Cllr Pile said: "The county council regrets that it is having to make these changes, but when one of the funding partners who was meeting 25 per cent of the cost is no longer able to continue there will be some significant effects on the services we can provide.
"Inevitably, these spill over into East Herts as well on cross-district contracts," he said.
From Sunday 25th November 2007
Arriva The Shires 54 (Hitchin – Stevenage, evening & Sunday service) 2000, 2200 from Hitchin and 2045, 2245 from Stevenage to be withdrawn, daily. As a result, no evening service on this route, any day of the week, and Service 54 now only runs during Sunday daytimes.
Arriva The Shires 97 (Hitchin – Stotfold) 2044, 2246 Daily from Hitchin and 2115 Mon-Sat/2121 Sunday from Stotfold journeys to be withdrawn. As a result, no late evening service on this route, any day of the week.
Arriva The Shires 99 (Hitchin – Baldock, evening & Sunday service) 1935 Mon-Sat from Hitchin to be withdrawn. 2004 Mon-Sat from Baldock to be withdrawn. 2135 Daily from Hitchin to be withdrawn. 2204 Daily from Baldock to be withdrawn. As a result, no late evening service on this route, any day of the week. Service 99 now only runs during Sunday daytimes.
From Wednesday 2nd January 2008
Richmonds Coaches 4 (South End – Bishops Stortford, Thursdays) Service withdrawn, last day of operation presumably to be Thursday 27th December.
Richmonds Coaches 16 (Royston Burns Road/Yeates Close – Studlands Way, Mon-Sat) Withdrawn between Burns Road/Roysia Surgery and Burns Road/Yeates Close to ensure reliability, following other withdrawals).
Richmonds Coaches 17 (Royston Burns Road/Yeates Close – Coombelands Road or Coronation Avenue, Mon-Sat) Service withdrawn entirely. Last day of operation Monday 31st December.
Richmonds Coaches 20 (Brent Pelham – Bishops Stortford) 0725 from Brent Pelham will now terminate at Dunmow Road Services, ‘saving Birchwood children from having to cross Parsonage Lane’, off-peak service on Thursdays retimed and extends to Anstey via Brent Pelham, as a partial replacement for Service 26.
Richmonds Coaches 22 (Buntingford – Hitchin, Tuesdays & Saturdays Only) Services withdrawn, last day of Tuesday operation will presumably be Tuesday 18th December. Last day of Saturday operation to be Saturday 29th December.
Richmonds Coaches 23 (Royston – Hitchin, Tuesdays only) AND 423 (Hitchin Local, Tuesdays only). Services withdrawn, last day of operation will presumably be Tuesday 18th December.
Richmonds Coaches 24 (Buntingford – Royston and Lower Gower Road/Beldam Avenue Town Service, Wednesdays & Fridays only) Curtailed to operate between Roe Green and Royston (including town service section) with revised times. Friday service withdrawn, last day presumably Friday 28th December.
Richmonds Coaches 26 (Royston – Bishop’s Stortford, Thursdays only) Service withdrawn, but partially replaced by Service 386. Last day of operation will presumably be Thursday 27th December. (not to be confused with Stagecoach 26 Royston – Cambridge, which continues unchanged).
Richmonds Coaches 43 (Chrishall – Royston) Wednesday shoppers services (presumably 1002, 1300 from Royston and 1020, 1335 from Chrishall Garage) to be withdrawn. Last day of operation will presumably be Wednesday 19th December.
Richmonds Coaches 386 (Buntingford/Puckeridge – Bishop’s Stortford) Thursday service revised to operate Royston – Bishop’s Stortford via Buckland, Chipping and Buntingford, as a partial replacement for Service 26. Bury Green will no longer be served by this service at any time.
The change to the 17 will save a Vario minibus (V357 usually). This bus then goes onto work the evening peak 43, which will presumably be done by something else. Service 27 on Wednesday daytimes is interworked with the 43, so if the 43 is to be withdrawn, it is presumed that the 24 will run to new times to allow the same bus to be used – but that is TBC. Apart from Mondays, it seems that the service cuts (excluding the 17) are enough to save a Solo/Vario minibus. The level of cuts is fairly substantial (for details click each link).
Anger over cuts to town bus service
ROYSTON'S No 17 town bus service is to be axed.
And the move is blamed on North Herts District Council's decision to end its £130,000 subsidy to Herts County Council.
But Royston's county councillor Doug Drake is angry that the decision came without even a discussion between members at County Hall.
He believed that the county council's transport panel should have taken the decision over the future of the service - and not transport portfolio holder Cllr Stuart Pile.
Cllr Drake said: "People have come to depend on these local daily bus services and many build their lives around them.
"These services should not be removed due to financial constraints with North Herts District Council," he said.
The No 17 service is used by about 1,000 passengers-a-week.
"There is a demand for this service and it will be badly missed," said Cllr Drake.
He is raising the question on whether there had been any "serious conversation" between the county council and the district council over the impact of the cuts.
Cllr Drake said he believed the district council's Royston area committee may be looking at ways to save the town service.
The issue was raised during the area committee's meeting in September when members were told that support for the service would cost an estimated £50,000-a-year.
Members suggested combing the No 17 service and the No 16 and adjusting the timetable to ensure a service would continue.
In the end, the committee decided that there should be discussions about the removal of a "vital" service and to see whether alternative funding could be attracted to maintain the service.
Cllr Drake described the axing of the bus service as "a very negative move".
He said: "It's a sad day when such services are lost - and it certainly isn't progress in today's world."
Cllr Drake added that the decision has been taken "not in the best interests" of people.
The county council said reductions in bus services were to be introduced in January "in response to the withdrawal of funding from North Herts District Council".
The cuts will be on town services and rural services in the Royston and Buntingford area.
Cllr Pile said: "The county council regrets that it is having to make these changes, but when one of the funding partners who was meeting 25 per cent of the cost is no longer able to continue there will be some significant effects on the services we can provide.
"Inevitably, these spill over into East Herts as well on cross-district contracts," he said.