Transport Report – April 2017
Sorry – but the buses are changing again
Although the last bus changes were back in November 2016, further changes will be happening with effect from Sunday 2 April. We would recommend that you get a copy of the new timetable, as the bus may go earlier or later than the current timings.
Most of these changes are because of the funding from Wiltshire Council and on the Service 81, trying to keep to time. From Sunday 26 March, the Stagecoach Sunday Service 5 (not be be confused with the Salisbury Reds X5) will be withdrawn, meaning that there will no longer be a bus down to Salisbury on a Sunday. This has had very few passengers between Marlborough and Pewsey and costs Wiltshire Council a lot of money to run.
This will be replaced with a Sunday Stagecoach 80 service, running every two hours between Swindon-Chiseldon-back road to the Ogbournes and on to Marlborough. It will operate at the same times in each two hour cycle, starting from Swindon at 08.30 with last service at 16.30. From the Chiseldon Landmark Hotel stop going into Swindon, starting at 09.40 with the last service 17.40. This bus will not serve the railway station in Swindon, as the No5 did.
There is a brand new timetable for the 80 and 81 service through Chiseldon, with times changing on both services through the day. Either five minutes earlier or five to ten minutes later. An example is that the first service into Swindon for concessionary passengers on the 81 will be 09.50 (currently 09.45). The last service on Service 80 out of Swindon changes from 17.25 to 17.55 Monday to Saturday. Stagecoach have had a number of requests to run this service later with passengers finishing work at 17.30. There are a number of changes across Swindon on Stagecoach services, changes on the Service 9, Service 3, Service 10, Service 49, Service 51, Service 55 and Service 66. Please note that the X5 Salisbury Reds service that picks up on the main road does not change and the evening service, Thamesdown 70A and 72A do not change, but Wiltshire Council are counting the number of passengers using these three services.
After the takeover of Thamesdown Bus Company their new owners the GoAhead Group are putting in a significant investment in new buses of £2million for 13 new single decker buses. These will have all the new mod cons, coloured floors to help the partially sighted, wifi and USB ports.
Drivers, please remember that the fines for using a mobile phone whilst driving have doubled as of 1 March as well as penalty points totalling 6 which would mean that a young driver caught using their mobile would lose their licence.
Both Bath and Swindon railway stations will be closed for platform extensions through the Easter holidays, May and June 2018 to accommodate the new 10-11 coach trains.
Cllr David Hill
Transport Representative