First Bus and Rail to axe hundreds of jobs

The Western Daily Press reports on major job cuts within First:

"Some 1,100 bus jobs will have gone by March next year in the UK and a further 600 jobs will go in the rail division, which includes the South West-serving First Great Western, which operates out of London Paddington"

Is First imploding, we have to ask? Is its management in panic mode? Our local service cuts are just part of a national programme to slash services and reduce costs. The same day as our cuts were announced, more services were axed from Ipswich to East Lothian.

First's share price halved over the last 6 months - like many others - falling from £5.50 to £2.00. Was management action a reaction to this?

News of the cuts has meant that the shares have gone back up to £2.50. The volume of shares traded has shot up - someone is buying First. Their management must be pleased.

Last Thursday First gave a major briefing to financial institutions. There are 21 pages of statement and questions and answers. And what did they say about our buses? Just "Outside London it’s a flexible business. We can closely match services to demand in a pretty short time if we need to"

But what will the share price do when the loss of public goodwill becomes obvious? And shareholders realise that First's market share is contracting?

Homelessness consultation event

South Glos is currently consulting on its Homelessness Review. Tomorrow (Tuesday 24th March) there will be an open meeting from 2pm - 5pm at the One Stop Shop in Yate to discuss any issues or concerns.

Bus cuts - have your say!

The "Save Our Bus Services" petition is attracting some interesting comments - here is a selection.

Click here to sign the petition - and please ask your friends to do the same.

"This story is a perfect illustration of the folly of bus de-regulation carried out so naively by the Conservatives: at the time, Labour promised to re-regulate the buses when they returned to power - just like they promised to re-nationalise British Rail after the Tories botched the privatisation.
First are just a money-making organisation: public service is quite irrelevant to their leadership and their management"

"Why are we being marooned ?
Why are you stopping us supporting the new Cabot Circus ?
Why have you just recently installed new bus stops on Brimsham Park and upgraded all the others?"

"I pay £104 monthly by direct debit for my season ticket. I am seriously considering cancelling this arrangement as the loss of the X27 will mean a 15-minute walk in all weathers to the Shopping Centre. At least I am fit enough to do this. What about those for whom the X27 is the only way of getting from North Yate into Bristol or to the Shopping Centre? Shame on you, Justin Davies and your company, you have returned us to the dark ages when only those who can drive have the freedom to get about and live their lives!"

"If First won't serve North Yate, S. Glos Council needs to find a company that will (bet it would be cheaper too!"

"HIGH HANDED AND IRRESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOUR BY THIS COMPANY >IS THERE NO LEGAL REQUIREMENT FOR THEM TO MAINTAIN AGREED SERVICES > IF CHANGE IS NEEDED IT SHOULD BE THROUGH NEGOTIATION"

"Choosing the right course for your future career sometimes means young people taking courses at City of Bristol College. This demands a huge commitment.It means an early start and late finish to their day travelling from Yate into Bristol; they must find means to pay the high cost of bus travel into Bristol. Having made that commitment they have the rug pulled from under them as the bus they rely on is cut. They must now extend their day by making their way to find the nearest bus stop or rely on parents or friend drive them into Bristol for their classes or as some may do give up their courses. This action by First will have a catastrophic effect on some of our young people"

"Withdrawal of the X27 will mean residents of north Yate and Brimsham Green will have to walk well over a mile to reach an alternative bus route into Bristol.Residents of Iron Acton will have no buses passing through their village at all.
Surely First Bus have a duty to provide a service to the public in the more rural areas and not concentrate only on their more profitable inner city routes.
First Bus say that they are trying to encourage more people to use the buses. How can this be possible when they are withdrawing and restricting services??
Come on First bus,what on earth are you thinking of in trying to axe such a major route as the X27??"

"This is horrendous, leaving many people unable to get around as they have no access to a car for essential travel. How can we cut congestion when the alternatives are taken away without any consultation? What use are free bus passes for the elderly if there are no buses!?!"

"Cutting the X27 bus service will leave the majority of North Yate without any buses. This will mean that unless people are willing and actually ABLE, to walk for at least 20 minutes to the nearest bus stop at Yate Shopping Centre, they would have to either pay for a taxi or those who have cars, add to the congestion on the roads to get in to Bristol.
What about people who go to the eye hospital - who are told not to drive their car - has anyone thought about how they will have to manage?
It was bad enough when the service from North Yate, which went past Yate Railway Station was cut last year, but to have no buses at all is totally unacceptable"

"This leaves a massive area - around 10000 people - without any bus to work or any means to get to health appointments unless they have a car. That is contrary to every reasonable policy - it is vital either First Bus gives us the bus back or South Glos comes out quickly and agrees to fund an alternative provider. I note Justin from First Bus is saying it is because of the recession, less people shopping - yet I see no sign of the bus to Cribbs being cut. It is ridiculous for North Yate to have a bus to Cribbs but not to Bristol. I am sure the £4.40 single is the real problem. Too expensive. Lower prices will mean more passengers and therefore more income / use"

"The X27 bus service is vital and if it withdrawn North Yate will be without any public transport. Many people will be house bound and not able to get to Yate or Bristol. Dreadful The slogan on the First Bus signs is "Transforming Travel" They are transforming it to "no" travel for people in Yate and areas. We have a right to public transport"

"Please do not cut the X27 I will be totally unable to get an alternative bus as I am 84 and this is the olnly bus which goes from outside where I live. I cannot walk to get any other bus to take me into Bristol and then from there onto other places. I will be unable to gan anywhere which is very depressing"

"First bus have recently announced huge profits for 2008/2009. Using these "huge profits"...why not put passengers as priority?"

"It's disgraceful that First Bus can get away with this sort of behaviour. This situation is the result of Conservatives deregulating the buses"

"Yet again First Bus treats Yate in its customarily shabby way. They fail to appreciate that people living in Yate and Chipping Sodbury whose place of work is in Bristol need a daily express service to get to/from home/work. The prospect of having to use the slow all-around-th-houses No 342 service is dismal to say the least!"

"Let's ask Wessex Connect to take over"

"It is unbelievable to think you can take away the X27 completely cutting off North Yate and Iron Acton from all the facilities of Yate and Bristol. Take some of the funding from your profitable routes in Bristol City and keep us moving"

Footpath closed near Westerleigh

Footpath LWE/16/20 is to be closed for 6 months from 19 March as necessary to carry out works on the footbridge over the stream. (To reach this footbridge from the Nibley Lane junction on Westerleigh Road, you would follow the track to the railway line, cross the railway line, and continue for a short distance.)

Save our bus services - online petition launched

Liberal Democrat councillors have demanded immediate action to counter drastic service cuts by First Bus.

The cuts mean that some areas including Iron Acton and North Yate will have no daytime buses at all. Other areas such as South Yate will have one less bus per hour, and journeys from Yate to Bristol will be at least 10 minutes longer because they will stop many more times along the way.

Liberal Democrats have called on South Gloucestershire Council to arrange adequate alternative bus services for the areas affected by the cuts.

“These services are vital” said Cllr Ian Blair (Lib Dem, Yate North) “These cuts means more cars on our roads, and more congestion. Fewer people will take the bus, and First will want to cut services again”

Councillors are also asking First Bus to reduce their fares to a level at which public transport becomes an attractive alternative to cars.

“Every few months we get an increase in fares and a reduction in the services” said Cllr Paul Hulbert (Lib Dem, Dodington). “I can foresee a time in the not too distant future when our only buses will be to Yate Shopping Centre, and people in this heavily built-up area will have to walk a mile or more to catch the nearest bus. We need to break this spiral of higher fares and fewer passengers”

Councillors have set up an online petition at
http://ourcampaign.org.uk/southglosbuses
asking for immediate action by South Gloucestershire Council to restore adequate bus services for the areas affected, and for First Bus to reduce their fares to a level at which they encourage people to use public transport instead of cars.

Buses should be efficient and affordable, and should serve the needs of the public.

Bus service cuts - Steve Webb speaks out on BBC TV

BBC News has done a good report on the proposed cuts by First Bus, including an interview with Steve Webb. If you missed it on Points West or the evening news, check out the BBC website report here, or click here for a larger version of the film.

Works on M4 Overbridge, Westerleigh Road

On 16 March there will be two-way temporary traffic lights in action on the M4 Overbridge on Westerleigh Road near the Folly Public House so that work can be carried out on the bridge deck.