Where Are The Buses?

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 13th Aug 2002

Lib Dems on Bedford Borough Council are backing the Bedford Association of Senior Citizens in pointing out that the local bus network needs a radical overhaul to provide more buses on more routes to benefit the people of Bedford.

The Lib Dems have started their campaign with the launch of a petition which they intend to put forward to local network operators Stagecoach showing how much support there is for extending the bus service again.

Commenting on the plans, Putnoe Liberal Democrat Cllr Myrtle Stewardson said:

"My husband and I regularly visit the hospital but I'm forced to travel by car as the bus network just doesn't measure up anymore. If I want to get there by bus I'm forced to travel into town first and then change buses. There used to be services but now they've been cut back. I have already spoken to a great many residents and like me they would like to see an improved service."

She added:

"It's not just Putnoe and urban Bedford that's suffering, the sparse bus service is a big issue in many rural areas. The bus network has some big holes. There isn't even a service that calls at the cemetery anymore!"

"As a first step to getting something done to improve the transport network I have started a petition calling for more services on the routes that people want, more often and calling at more places. Next I will present it to the council calling for them to put pressure on Stagecoach to bring about improvements. We need to show Stagecoach the huge demand for buses that exists so that they can't fail to see the benefit of a better bus network for the borough."