Let's unite to protect our bus services (From Braintree and Witham Times)

Let's unite to protect our bus services

4:31pm Thursday 4th December 2008

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I had a nice, prompt reply to my letter to managing director Bob Dorr of First buses.

I had let him know what I thought of getting rid of route 352 from Chelmsford to Braintree.

He told me that there are fewer people from Halstead to Braintree, so it proposes to have smaller buses on this route. However, when I get on the bus, it is always fairly full. I can see people being left at the bus stop if there are smaller buses.

I travel to Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, often from Church Street and I get to the hospital in 45 minutes. Under the new route, I would have to get off at Braintree bus station and wait either seven minutes at peak times or 15 minutes off-peak, according to Mr Dorr, to catch a bus to Chelmsford.

This would not only be unpleasant, but also mean another 15 minutes on the journey.

This seems to be putting more pressure on the pensioners who use the service.

As Braintree College has many students and staff who used to go to Halstead or Chelmsford, First buses decided it would send them on a tour of Bocking to get to their destination, instead of dropping them off at the college gates.

Under new timetables, they have to catch the bus to Deanery Gardens and tour the estates to arrive at Braintree bus station and wait seven or 15 minutes to catch their bus to Chelmsford.

How can they bring these changes in?

As far as I know, there have been no questions asked of bus passengers of what should be done or left as they are.

It seems these people think they can run roughshod over everyone. They should reflect that the general public pay their wages.

I hope Essex County Council and Braintree Council put their full weight behind trying to get these changes stopped.

Come on everyone. If you don’t agree, write to Bob Dorr and the company – it might become too busy in replying to your letters that it might forget to bring in these new, nonsensical routes.

PETER STAINES

Church Street, Braintree

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