Wiltshire Council has asked Town, Parish Councils and Area Boards for thoughts on how to spend the well-publicised extra funding for buses which it could receive from central government.
This raises the possibility, for example, of restoring the evening service from Swindon to Marlborough – all three buses having been axed three years ago.
Wiltshire Council states that requests for small improvements in existing services are likely to be more successful than for new all-day services which could cost in the region of £160,000 per annum to operate.
It is not known how much a miniscule improvement to the timetable from Marlborough to Bedwyn station would cost – simply to enable the bus to connect with the train service. Local bodies have been asked to put their suggestions, with justifications, to Wiltshire Council Passenger Transport Unit by March 27 for their consideration.
A transport expert told marlborough.news that the Department of Transport were going the wrong way about it. He explained that if you dish out money to areas where there is no joined up transport policy and subsidised buses run empty because they don’t connect, without a complete overhaul of transport strategy that money will be wasted: “You will still have empty buses, just more of them”.
You can give your ideas to your Town or Parish Council.
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