Written evidence from D Laban (BUS 07)
SUMMARY
1. This evidence is in reference to the withdrawal
in January 2009 of the 639 bus service from Wednesbury to Walsall
via Darlaston Road. The service had been operated by National
Express West Midlands, but was stopped as the operator claimed
there were not enough users to make it viable.
2. I am a local resident. I was one of the organisers
of a petition expressing concern at the way the service was cancelled,
and claiming that the reason was not lack of use, but the failings
of the operator to run a reliable service. The petition called
on National Express West Midlands and Centro, the local transport
authority, to take steps to remedy the situation and reinstate
the route.
POOR SERVICE
OF BUS
639
3. The 639 bus used to run from the nearest stop
to my house every hour on the half hour. It was often late. We
would have to wait 45 minutes. Sometimes the bus would pass in
the other direction and the bus driver would call out to those
waiting, saying that he was not coming back.
4. The bus would run from Walsall to Darlaston
around the estate, and if no one was waiting further up on the
estate, it would sometimes turn around and go back without completing
the route.
WITHDRAWAL OF
ROUTE
5. Since the service has been withdrawn it has
been difficult for some residents to reach the local hospital.
One day I had an appointment at the Manor Hospital, at 3.50pm.
I had to walk into Darlaston and then catch two different buses.
I had to leave the house at 2.15pm in order to arrive on time,
as the buses from Walsall to the hospital often run 45-60 minutes
late.
6. There are many elderly people in the area,
and many who cannot walk to catch the bus in Darlaston. I am a
senior citizen, and there are many others older than me in the
neighbourhood.
7. Those who cannot catch the bus have to pay
£5 each way for a taxi to the hospital.
8. One alternative is to catch the 79 bus from
the next street, but this involves a very steep hill. The 79 is
meant to run every 10 minutes, but often one has to wait 45 minutes
between buses, and they often turn up two or three at a time.
This also affects people in Wednesbury, Darlaston and Moxley.
9. The steep hill makes this an unsuitable alternative
for the elderly and those with limited mobility. I have strained
my arm muscles carrying shopping back from the 79 bus stop to
my home.
10. In an email responding to the petition and
EDM 975, tabled by local MP Valerie Vaz, Centro spokesperson Babs
Coombes named the 327 and 645 as alternative bus routes. However,
in order to catch these buses, it is necessary to walk the full
length of a park. This can be lonely and unnerving, particularly
for the elderly and vulnerable and those travelling alone or in
the dark.
11. The email from Centro also names the Ring
& Ride service. However this is not always convenient, as
seats must be booked two days in advance, and the route can take
a very long time as the buses divert to pick people up along the
way.
12. Like the 79, the 639 used to take a meandering
route. The traffic could make the buses late. But the residents
needed the service so much that they were prepared to wait three-quarters
of an hour for the bus to come.
13. This matter affects people living on estates
in Darlaston and Moxley. It is especially an issue for reaching
the hospital. This is a shame as the Manor is a brand new hospital,
but local people cannot get to it. There are many people aged
80 or over living in the area who struggle to reach the hospital.
FUTURE SERVICES
14. There is a new estate being built across
the road and this would provide many more potential users of a
bus service that covered Darlaston Road.
15. I have spent almost two years campaigning
on this issue, along with Julie Bosley, who has also submitted
evidence. We suggest that the existing 333E route between Darlaston
and Walsall could run via Wednesbury and the Manor Hospital. This
would be a shorter route than the 639.
December 2010
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