Spalding reader says bus service improvement should be discussed, not closures

I think it’s important to have our say about the town buses. For the last six months due to health problems I have become a user of the buses.

It’s been an interesting experience and not always a happy one. But they are a lifeline to many elderly people. For many it’s their opportunity to get out of the house and keep up acquaintances.

The fact that some buses don’t run during the school holidays and you have to conclude your business by 3pm are major limitation.

The service isn’t the best and at times you feel the bus company wants to wind up the service. In short, it can be unreliable.

I agree finding a way to communicate with its core user – the elderly – is key to bringing back a vibrant service. There is an app which is sometimes useful but not many elderly have a smartphone.

I usually start my journey in the Parkway and I am indebted to the ladies of the shelter accommodation who have often given me updates on the service and tell me which side of the road to stand.

As a new user, deciding if I needed to stand on one side of the road for an IT1 and the other for IT2 is confusing .

The timetables at the stops are even more confusing and I agree having digital signal signage would be a great help. So on the days when there is no service you wouldn’t waste time waiting for the bus to

arrive. The drivers are also a key asset to the service and often lately having to negotiate unannounced road closures or badly parked cars and it’s been a hard job.

The bus station could also do with digital signage and a safe route for foot passengers to reach the path by the toilets. Installing a zebra crossing is all that’s needed.

So thanks to the local paper for raising this issue. By chance I listened to the recent Spalding Town Forum online and in light of this news I guess I was surprised it wasn’t discussed.

We shouldn’t be discussing its closure but discussing how to improve the service. I guess the problem is that South Holland District Council doesn’t have the responsibility for transport so we don’t have a champion to stand up for the elderly and this essential service.

Geoff Taylor

via email