Rural bus

Norfolk’s rural transport cuts revealed

By CHRIS HILL, Rural affairs correspondent Thursday, September 29, 2011
4:30 PM

Details of which routes and passengers could suffer from proposed cuts to Norfolk’s rural bus network have been revealed by transport chiefs.

Norfolk County Council has published a list of 17 services which it wants to scale back in order to reach a targeted saving of £500,000 from its rural transport budget for next year.

A consultation is now set to begin to discuss the proposals with affected communities.

Routes have been chosen after assessing factors including passenger numbers, car ownership levels, the importance of the route for work or education and the availability of alternative transport.

Graham Plant, cabinet member for planning and transportation, said: “We recognise the importance of rural buses to the communities they serve.

“The fact that only 17 services are directly affected is a testament to the amount of work that has gone into minimising the impact on passengers and communities. This has only been possible with the excellent support and cooperation we have received from bus operators.

“Any cut in service is bound to be bad news for some people, but we have done our best to choose routes and times where the journeys being lost are not critical. Of course there may be consequences we are unaware of, which is why it is so important that we hear from anyone directly affected by these proposals.”

Although most planned reductions are limited to Sundays and evenings, the proposals also include the removal of the £25,000 annual subsidy to the King’s Lynn Ferry, which runs between West Lynn and King’s Lynn.

Mr Plant said: “We don’t want the ferry to stop – we know it performs a useful service, not least as a park and ride, keeping cars out of King’s Lynn. But we also support a bus service that provides the same service for more people, and which is fully accessible. We cannot keep subsidising each ferry journey by around £1 per trip when that can only be at the expense of other vital rural bus services.

“We believe strongly that there is scope for the ferry to run on a more commercial basis. This may mean reduced crossings and higher fares, but it could still be an attractive choice given that there is no charge for parking at West Lynn.”

The council initially hoped to save £1m but, on September 12, cabinet members backed a reduction to £700,000 spread over two years, with £500,000 in 2012-13 and £200,000 in 2013-14.

Pressure on the county’s rural transport budget has intensified with a £4.5m shortfall in government funding for this year’s concessionary travel scheme, which prompted the launch of the council’s “Fair Fares” campaign on Monday.

The consultation on the proposed cuts will run until the end of November and will include an online form at www.norfolk.gov.uk and roadshows from 11am to 2pm at the following venues:

October 4, Cromer Bus Station; October 6, Great Yarmouth Market Place; October 12, The Forum, Norwich; October 18, Tuesday Market Place, King’s Lynn; October 19, South Norfolk House, Long Stratton.

Recommended changes to routes:

Simonds 1,2 and 118. Diss-Long Stratton-Norwich. No evening or Sunday service from Diss to Norwich. Fewer Sunday and evening (after 7pm) journeys from Long Stratton to Norwich.

Sanders 5. Holt-Cromer-Mundesley-North Walsham. Fewer Sunday journeys from October to May.

Sanders 5A. North Walsham-Coltishall-Spixworth-Norwich. Fewer Sunday journeys.

First 6,7. Belton and Bradwell-Great Yarmouth. Fewer evening (after 7pm) journeys.

Sanders 9, X8. Holt-Melton Constable-Fakenham-King’s Lynn. No winter Sunday services.

First 10B and Anglian 10B. Norwich-Lakenham-Tuckswood-Mulbarton. Fewer Sunday and evening (after 8pm) journeys.

First 14B. Norwich-Hethersett-Wymondham. Fewer Sunday and evening (after 8pm) journeys.

Sanders 44. Sheringham-Cromer-Aylsham-Norwich. Fewer Sunday and evening (after 7pm) journeys.

Anglian 121. Eaton Village-Norwich. No Sunday service.

Anglian 581. Beccles-Burgh St Peter-Great Yarmouth. Wheatacre, Burgh St Peter and Aldeby to be served by alternative pre-booked transport.

Anglian 587. Norwich-Stoke Holy Cross-Poringland. Fewer Sunday services.

Anglian 588. Halesworth-Bungay-Norwich. Fewer Sunday and evening (after 7.30pm) journeys.

Norfolk Green. King’s Lynn town services. Fewer late night (after 9pm) services.

Coasthopper. Hunstanton-Wells-Sheringham-Cromer. Fewer services from October to March.

King’s Lynn Ferry. West Lynn-King’s Lynn. Fewer crossings.

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21 comments

I'd like to say one last point on this subject, I am classed as a pensioner because I am over 60, I've not been one that long but I hate every part of it, I am not old, I am not unable to work because of ill health or disability, I am as fit as I was 30 years ago and I am still the person I was 30 years ago. I apply for jobs, but when I send off my CV, I don't get asked to an interview because of my age, not my lack of experience although it is now against the law to discriminate, employers still do. One temporary job that came up I applied for was 5 minutes from my front door, a job I could do with my eyes closed, yet they chose to pick a younger person who lived 15 miles away and who had to drive in by car through all the snow that we had just had, doesn't make sense to me. My point is there are many 'pensioners' like me who would like to work, it wouldn't be worth having a bus pass unless you had a part time job because working full time the passes can't be used any earlier than 9:30, for the likes of us who want to work and do if lucky, get to work, I for one would be willing to pay for a bus pass that covers weekends only if a train travel card didn't cover buses, just as I pay £25 per year for a senior train pass that gets me a couple of pounds discounted off of a rail fare.

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Spooky

Saturday, October 1, 2011
It is very sad to read the comments disparaging the " poor " pensioners. Actually most of are just that. I cannot afford a car and grew up in an age before private pensions were even thought of. Every week I was taxed and NI contributions were taken. Most of us " poor " pensioners did not have well paid jobs. The bus pass is a real bonus . But due to the financial "get rich quick whiz kids" having wreaked havoc on the worlds economy ,ably aided and abetted by inept politicians, it appears that we must suffer. My income is fixed and rapidly diminishing in spending power. One simple answer to the bus pass is to charge an annual fee. There would be an instant cash income and would be far simpler than a variable fare. I wonder which system the town hall paper shufflers will choose? As for all those who show disdain for people such as we, the elderly. Remember ,you have yet to become elderly and that is not guaranteed. And the next time you pop along to the doctors or hospital , think of who paid for the service to become what it is today. Think kinder thougths, we are not charity cases.

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norman hall

Saturday, October 1, 2011
I do not decry OAPs getting a better deal than all of us, but a few very well off pensioners see it as a challenge, a good crack to use the local bus and leave the Jag in the garage. I would agree to a £1 concessionary fare for any trip made. We seem to forget that it is the fuel tax regime of this and consequetive Governments which is putting companies at risk of failing, this issue is game playing. Another point to make, the roads we built have to be maintained, if we cannot look after the network we already have, should we build more of the same? Why is there only one alternative to the car and why are the attitudes towards subsidising it always negative?

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ingo wagenknecht

Saturday, October 1, 2011
i would add that OAPS get more than most unemployed people who may have worked years longer than them. They take this "free"bus scheme for granted.

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bookworm

Friday, September 30, 2011
thanks Mr Majika--the voice of reason and common sense. There are always OAPS holding out their hands for more.....Theres a recession on and cuts need to be made.

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bookworm

Friday, September 30, 2011
hope i die before i get old.

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bookworm

Friday, September 30, 2011
thanks for the sensible comments billiethebookie and Mr Majika.Two brilliant posters.

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bookworm

Friday, September 30, 2011
as for spooky and bigbinliners---pensioners get a fair deal but they always want more.I feel many people could put forward a case for discount or free travel but where would it all end?

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bookworm

Friday, September 30, 2011
there is no such thing as a free ticket.it all comes from the public purse.Thanks again to mr Majika for his common sense comments.Iagree with billiethebookie about the cites future.

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bookworm

Friday, September 30, 2011
Maybe us pensioners that are accused of getting something for nothing should do what the man (Mr.Green of BHS ect) and that is ship all our money abroad and put it in our wife's name.

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leslie cater

Friday, September 30, 2011
Yes thank you, bookworm - what have you got against pensioners? Don't forget you'll be one eventually, and Lord help when you are!

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biglingers

Friday, September 30, 2011
during the last election the working class north country lady, who tackled Gordon Brown about all the borrowing that the government had undertaken to pay for freebies like the free bus scheme and immigration was simply insulted and dismissed as a bigot, guess that is why labour lost, not that this government has been any better

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blister

Friday, September 30, 2011
the free bus scheme was a brilliant idea except it is not really free, somone has to pay for the 'free' trips local or national government, it was typical of Gordon Brown that he thought there was a bottomless pit of money to pay for anything, billions of pounds were wasted by the labour government, there would have been nothing wrong in making pensioners pay £1 per trip for example, it may free up a few seats that some well healed pensioners are sitting in while I have to stand despite paying over the odds for my ticket

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blister

Friday, September 30, 2011
For Billiethebookie - you mention shopping on-line, I take it you don't do that yourself or you would know that there is a varying delivery charge dependant on what day and time you want a delivery to arrive and it isn't cheaper either. Bookworm - pensioners are not on a free ticket, it is part of the pension package because the majority of us don't get as much as you seem to think to live on.

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Spooky

Thursday, September 29, 2011
Hard up pensioners,No need to go to the city anyway, start doing online shopping its cheaper..and you get it delivered. The city as you know it will be dead within 10 years

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billythebookie

Thursday, September 29, 2011
Norfolk has always been the poor relation when it comes to transport. Thanks to Beeching and a crumbling road system this will always be an area that is economically a backwater. Only massive investment in the transport infrastructure will reverse the trend, of course this will never happen, best buy a car if you can afford all the tax and forget about public transport.

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Harry Rabinowitz

Thursday, September 29, 2011
I've spent a lifetime paying tax, and paying full bus fare for the privilege of standing up on rush hour services full of concessionary travellers. If they paid half fare, like kids, a lot of these services would be more viable. You had an increase in line with inflation? Great, my salary has been the same for three years, but everything else is going up, AND I HAVE TO PAY! I don't mind the pensioners who really need free travel having it, but the nice middle class two pension families out on an afternoon jolly & who COULD afford to pay get my goat. By the way, before any of you bleat on about how ignorant this post is, I'm registered 16% disabled, is it fair I should have to stand because an old dear fancies an afternoon out; happens quite regularly!

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Mr Majika

Thursday, September 29, 2011
Yes , the government should reimburse the County Council the whole cost of the Bus Pass .Going on trips by bus is one of the few pleasures a person on a standard pension gets .

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Number 6

Thursday, September 29, 2011
Most pensioners have spent a lifetime paying tax's and despite living on a fixed income have just had had an increase in taxation by the additional VAT that they now pay which is dis proportionate to the rest of the population.Blame this government for short changing the County Council of £4.5 million.

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leslie cater

Thursday, September 29, 2011
It's hardly the fault of the pensioners that this miserable government has reneged (yet again) on its obligation to reimburse the County Council.

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Richard Kelham

Thursday, September 29, 2011
satisfied now pensioners on free tickets?

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bookworm

Thursday, September 29, 2011