Bus review ‘lacked vision’ (From Southend Standard)

Bus review ‘lacked vision’

3:00pm Tuesday 16th June 2009

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A COUNCIL committee has come under fire for failing to make any recommendations about the future of bus services in Hockley, Hawkwell and Ashingdon.

Rochford District Council’s review committee was asked to carry out a review of buses in the district following controversy over changes to services 7 and 8.

However, the commmittee has only suggested how any future consultation about buses could be improved.

John Mason, independent councillor for Hawkwell, said: “It seems the campaign to get an evening bus back for Hawkwell has hit an iceberg in the form of the review committee.

“It appears it is just going to give up and do nothing, leaving Hawkwell with no bus service at all in the evening.

“I want residents to know the review committee is about to publish a report which simply dumps their needs because it does not have the vision, energy and enthusiasm to fight for improvements for residents.”

Review committee chairman June Lumley said there were several reasons why the committee had not made any recommendations regarding the evening service on the No 8 service in Hawkwell.

She said: “There has not been an evening service on this route since 2002 and the whole reason for our study was the recent reductions Arriva made to the service.

“In addition, there were concerns that if the subsidy to the No 7 evening service was split, we could finish up with a situation where neither service would be viable.

“However, Essex County Council and Arriva did agree to look at the possibility and I believe this is still ongoing.”

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