Letter: My Bus Service Has Got Worse

Published on: 17 Jun, 2022
Updated on: 17 Jun, 2022

From: Brian Creese

chair of Guildford Labour

After the Guildford bus crisis at Christmas, when Arriva handed back the keys for the main local bus services, Stagecoach has become the main bus provider in Guildford. How are people finding it?

Although we are picking up a lot of criticism of bus services on the doorstep, this is primarily a personal comment rather than a political one.

I live in Jacobs Well and am currently unable to drive. After an encouraging start, the performance of the 34 and 35 buses linking Guildford and Woking has become woeful.

In the past seven days I have had seven buses ‘cancelled’; by cancelled I mean they have not turned up. Most of these had the usual countdown on the bus stop display they just go to ‘Due’ then disappear.

In Arriva days we had three buses an hour but it is now two, so every cancellation is half an hour at the bus stop.

Even when waiting at the Bus Station in Guildford, there is no communication with passengers. Today, for instance, the 11.30 and 12.00 buses didn’t appear but there was no one at the bus station from Stagecoach to inform passengers what was going on.

One lady there had been waiting 90 minutes for a bus. I wonder if others have been finding the same issues with their buses; is it just Stagecoach or are others also struggling.

In my opinion, this is simply not good enough. Public Transport only works when the public has trust, and that trust is rapidly disappearing – on our route at least.

What, I wonder, is Surrey County Council doing about the situation? They subsidise the services and so should ensure they meet the proper standards.

And what about Guildford Borough Council? If they want to encourage people to leave their cars at home they need to ensure a decent, reliable bus service. I’m afraid at present we are getting neither.

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