The Public Transport Team at County Hall have achieved their target of making a £1.5 million (18%) saving on the Public Transport budget. This has inevitably had an impact on our local bus services.
Service 133 – service will be reduced to two hourly on Sundays instead of hourly. No details yet of specific timings.
Service 314 – will be withdrawn, with final journey on 9th April. Each passenger was costing around £19, which is judged unsustainable. Unfortunately, the Demand Responsive Transport, which is being introduced in some areas to compensate, will not cover Felsted. We have asked for this to be reconsidered in future.
Service 16 – continues unchanged, having achieved a cost per passenger of just over the maximum of £5 per journey. Although the new contract to run this service is for 4 years, it is clear that the adage “use it or lose it” applies. There will also be a change of operator from Hedingham to Stephensons.
Updated timetables will be posted at bus stops by 10th April, with revised 133 timings starting on 17th April.
Whilst these changes are disappointing, please do remember that Uttlesford Community Transport is available as an alternative to the bus, albeit at a cost, but still cheaper than a taxi.
One other bus service to remember is the service between the Chelmer Valley Park and Ride and Broomfield Hospital. This is currently a one year trial, so again it needs to be used sufficiently to ensure it is retained. It runs every half hour and costs £3 per day return, free to bus pass holders after 9am.