Number of bus services face axe over fuel duty cut
TALKS are underway to axe or reduce 12 of North East Lincolnshire's bus services.
From April 1, the Stagecoach East Midlands Group, which operates bus services in this area, is facing a 20 per cent reduction in the Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG), which gives tax relief on fuel used by operators to provide transport services.
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'Don't panic': Jane Hyldon-King, chair of the Eng-Age multi-agency transport group, who are concerned about possible cutbacks to bus services in North East Lincolnshire.
It has also identified a number of services it describes as "proving challenging" as it continues its annual negotiations with North East Lincolnshire Council.
While Jane Hyldon-King, the chairman of the Eng-Age transport sub committee, said she would urge bus users "not to panic" saying that there was no guarantee services would be lost, it has been confirmed that among the proposals being considered are:
Service 3, Grimsby to Lincoln: Reducing services to Lincoln from hourly to two per day and services to Laceby from 12 per day to eight per day.
Service 51, Grimsby to Louth: Reducing the service from half hourly to hourly, while maintaining services to Holton-le-Clay every 30 minutes.
Service 7, Grange estates, Grimsby and Cleethorpes: Withdrawing the hourly Sunday service.
Service 8, bus station, New Waltham, North Sea Lane and Cleethorpes: Withdrawing evening buses from the 8.45pm service onwards and the current hourly Sunday service.
Service 9 and 9a, Waltham, bus station and Cleethorpes: Withdrawing evening buses from the 8.40pm service onwards.
Service 12, Bradley Park, Grimsby, Waltham: Cancelling the hourly service.
Service 13/14, Bradley Crossroads, Grimsby and Cleethorpes: Rerouting all services to run via Morrisons.
Service 16, Wybers Wood, bus station and Asda: Reducing the service to Asda from every 15 minutes to every half hour and withdrawing the hourly Sunday service.
Service 45, Cleethorpes, Grimsby, Immingham and South Killingholme: Altering service times by 10 minutes, removing Catch, Mic and Immingham Port from the route, withdrawing the half hourly off-peak service to South Killingholme, stopping services from 8.15pm onwards and including Waltham on the route on Sundays.
Service 105, Wybers to Healing Schools: Cancelling the whole service.
Service 150, Grimsby to East Halton: Slightly changing the service times and removing Habrough.
As reported, each year since the introduction of free bus travel for older and disabled people in 2006, the company has secured reimbursement payments from NELC towards the cost of providing free travel to the borough's 2.6-million concessionary passengers.
The firm's commercial director, Dave Skepper, said: "Given the number of free trips by pass holders, this reimbursement is a vital revenue stream underpinning the Stagecoach East Midlands bus network, especially where we run services at quieter times such as in the evenings and on Sundays."
However, the loss of the funding usually provided by the BSOG has provided a "second challenge" for the business in negotiating a deal which will allow all services to continue running in their current state.
Mr Skepper said: "I can confirm that we are talking to both North East Lincolnshire Council and Lincolnshire County Council regarding a number of bus services that are proving challenging.
"At this stage, as we explore all the issues and available options through our Quality Bus Partnerships with both authorities, it is not really the appropriate time to make any definite confirmation of service patterns or withdrawals at the moment. I anticipate that we will be publishing the details of proposed timetable amendments by the end of the month."
Jason Longhurst, head of development at NELC, added: "A number of bus services in Grimsby and Cleethorpes have been highlighted to us by Stagecoach East Midlands as unviable in the future.
"This is because of the fuel duty cut and if concessionary reimbursement does not keep pace with rising operating costs.
"We have already started detailed discussions with the bus operator and I am optimistic that we can reach a satisfactory agreement regarding payment as we have always done in previous years."
Share your views
What do you think? Let us know by commenting on this story or emailing newsdesk@grimsbytelegraph.co.uk
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by XNY556
Monday, February 27 2012, 4:50PM
“My children use the No.3 service to travel to and from school and we have to pay over £300 per year for the eldest one to use this service. I have been advised that negotiations are ongoing.
I will certainly be taking a keen interest in this story - well done to the Telegraph for raising it in the public interest.”
by dawnlancaster
Sunday, February 26 2012, 5:37PM
“reducing the no3 to 2 aday is ridiculous,i use this bus to get to and from work 5 times a week,costs me £12 to get to work on a sunday since they axed the sunday service,i would have to finish work :(”
by JenniGY
Thursday, February 23 2012, 4:41PM
“ok so cutting the services i not good at all, but to all the people saying that stagecoach are rubbish and unrealiable... i do not agree with this at all. i used to live just outside leeds and had to travel in to the centre everyday, the bus i had to catch turned up probabbly once on time in 4 years, it was alway always about 30 mins late, if it even showed up ... + a day rider cost me £4.90.... the stagecoach day rider costing £2.70 I think that grimsby actually has a very good bus service but them making cuts is just not going to work at all, it will create a large gap and leave people stranded, and anyway at the moment it is just talks so the plans might not even go ahead anyway”
by havntone
Thursday, February 23 2012, 2:09PM
“Having lived in various towns in the country, we must have here, the worst bus service I have come across. Its about time stagecoach was shown the door. They have made a real mess of the service. Late running, some poor drrivers.”
by emeylou
Thursday, February 23 2012, 1:50PM
“think we need a new bus company to come and take over stagecoach they are use less. 45 is always late and they always put buses on them that seem to always break down. I complain and got todl they where going to make them every 20 mins because they where getting so busy during the day and as for evening service how rubbish stopping the 46 at 8:15pm people work late and its cheaper to catch buses to town and cleethorpes than taxi as well as being more environmental friendly whatever happened to reducing cars and putting more public transport on to help the environment. Also your not really helping the younger people of the society to get out and about are you reducing the buses. Think of those that work/have part time jobs after school,college etc. It cheaper to use public transport these days then learn to drive. I come from a town where there was a bus service for every housing estate up to every half hour and that ran up until at least midnight for those that worked. Stagecoach please think about what you are doing to our communities and this town before you change all this.”
by NeilGY86
Wednesday, February 22 2012, 6:32PM
“Stagecoach walkin take over and mess it all up they need to go and we need to get GCT and ROADCAR back.”
by NeilGY86
Wednesday, February 22 2012, 6:31PM
“Sounds like a big mess”
by lasty2011
Wednesday, February 22 2012, 6:17PM
“i live at nettleton when the bus service before was down to 2 aday it was a long day as i was at college at diffrant times it is disgraceful that they are thinking of doing it again i think they should live out here with no car and having to try and get to work and see how they like it its not easy we have no shops or post office here you cant even walk any where because it is out in the wolds. i rely heavyly on the no 3 to get into grimsby and back in the week and weekends. what about all the pensioners some of them just go out for company. there would be more people using the no 3 bus if it was on time and actully turned up even if they change the bus to every two hrs it is a lot better than two aday COME ON PEOPLE AND STOP THIS HAPPENING PLEASE”
by AshHammond
Tuesday, February 21 2012, 12:21AM
“Here's how I'd do it:
InterConnect 3 every two hours with double deckers
7, 8 and 9 every 15 minutes each with single deckers
9 every hour Grimsby to Waltham at night and Sunday with a single decker
13 and 14 every 15 minutes each with single deckers
16 every 15 minutes with single deckers
45 every 30 minutes with single deckers
Keep the 46 running!! With single deckers every hour
InterConnect 51 every hour with double deckers
Far less savage. What do you think??”
by tara_2011
Sunday, February 19 2012, 3:45PM
“I am taking action regarding the number 3 service i am setting up a petition to try stop this service going to 2 buses aday which personally think it ridiculous there is way too many ppl rely on this service either to get to college and back or work also the elderly rely on this service to get to town and do shopping and collect there pensions. Maybe stagecoach need to re-think there decisions. I will be in grimsby bus station on number 3 stand tomorrow (monday) with my petition if any one wishes to come along and sign it i will also be travelling on the 3 getting opinions of passengers that will be loosing out on the service”