Passenger Focus calls for new diesel trains for South West

Passenger Focus has stated that planning to replace class 142 and 143 Pacer trains and other diesel units built for British Rail over twenty years ago must start immediately. The passenger transport ‘watchdog’ states that journeys by Pacer trains in the South West are ‘more to be endured than enjoyed!’, with their limited seating capacity and poor access with steps inside their doorways. Passenger Focus considers that the class 150 trains only offer basic accommodation, ‘far from that of the average family motor car’, while the class 158 units are now ‘showing their age’, with many seats offering very limited ‘leg-room’. Passenger Focus states that ‘the time has arrived to design a new diesel train capable of improving passengers’ travelling environment, with increased reliability and performance, for deployment on regional and local rail services in the South West’.

Concessionary travel survey

A survey undertaken by the Office for National Statistics in the second quarter of this year has revealed that twenty-seven per cent of eligible people in England have not applied for a concessionary fare pass, while twenty-four per cent of card holders had never used their pass. The survey found that thirty-one per cent of card holders had not used their pass in the previous month, while thirty-four per cent were using local buses, free of charge, at least once a week.

Strong customer growth for Western Greyhound

Western Greyhound, the independent Cornish bus operator, has reported that it has increased passenger volumes on the company’s ongoing bus network by over eighteen per cent in the last twelve months – this increase excludes patronage on newly added routes. There has been growth of over ten per cent in fare-paying passengers, with concessionary card holders accounting for the remainder of the increase.

Progress for Bath Bus Rapid Transit

Bath and North East Somerset Council has approved compulsory purchase orders to buy land, including a number of gardens attached to houses in Lower Weston, for the Bus Rapid Transit route linking the central area of Bath with large park and ride sites to the east and west of the city – the scheme is an integral part of the Bath Transport Package which is expected to cost in excess of fifty-eight million pounds.

Rotala makes ‘maiden’ profit

Rotala, the bus and coach group, which trades as ‘Wessex Connect’ in Greater Bristol, has reported a ‘maiden’ profit before tax of £579k for the six months ended 31 May 2008, compared with a loss of £691k for the year ended 30 November 2007. During the six months to 31 May 2008, the company’s revenue increased by sixty-five per cent to £15.8M, generating an operating profit of £1.4M (for the twelve months ended 30 November 2007, the company made an operating profit of £0.19M on a turnover of £19.3M).

People

Michelle Hargreaves, who is currently operations director of Stagecoach East, has been appointed as managing director of Stagecoach South West (comprising Stagecoach Cooks Coaches and Stagecoach Devon) with effect from 1 November 2008.

And finally,

A forty-seven year old Exeter resident has been given a four month jail sentence, suspended for two years, at Exeter Crown Court for breaching a restraining order banning him from contacting a female city bus driver.