Writing in a letter to the local papers in Rugby, local Green Party spokesperson, Steve Wright has added the voice of Rugby Green Party to concerns that have been raised by local residents over the current reliability of the local bus services and has suggested positive improvement that could be made - including a Bus Station in the town center and also an interactive GPS system enabling local residents to find out the actual real time arrival time for the bus they are waiting to catch.
He writes;
Improving
Rugby’s Bus Service
Letters Page
Rugby Green Party share
many of the concerns about the recent decline of the bus services in Rugby in
terms of bus arriving late even not all – if this was to take place on the
railways the companies would have to pay to compensation to its customers!
In Coventry the
National Express operator
has installed a GPS tracking scheme on each of their buses, to allow
prospective passengers the ability to check the arrival of buses by text for a
small fee of 25 by typing the individual code which is on each bus stop.
This is likely to increase use of buses as people
will know whether a bus will turn up on time or is running late. This is a
system that Rugby Greens believe should be introduced in Rugby and
Warwickshire.
Rugby Greens
are also calling for a Bus station in the town centre at either the old
Granada Cinema site or the old market site off the top of Railway Terrace –
local planners must ensure any improvements to the town centre includes the
requirement of a modern bus station.
Rugby Greens are also calling for refurbishment and improvements to bus stops in the Rugby by
placing electronic GPS arrival panels on key bus stops and also providing more
stops with shelter from the elements. We would like to see a discussion in the
community take place about where additional bus stops should be placed to meet
local need - near for example the junction with Barby Road for the 86 Bus.
Finally, the bus service times must be better integrated
with other bus service times in respect of times to enable a passenger to catch
another bus in the town centre and also those bus services near the railway
with rail services.
The excellent bus services in London show that
reliable service with affordable fares is the way
forward.
Regards
Steve Wright
Rugby Green Party
