Bus passengers complain about changes to service between Winchester and Alresford (From Hampshire Chronicle)

Bus passengers complain about changes to service between Winchester and Alresford

3:33pm Wednesday 7th December 2011 in Alresford

A TRANSPORT boss says he will re-examine changes to a bus route said to be hindering elderly residents.

Andrew Dyer, managing director of Stagecoach South, said it had recently created two bus routes out of the previous three running between Alresford and Winchester.

But following calls that the new faster diverted route meant elderly people having to walk much further to catch buses, he said he would review the route.

Speaking at a public ‘question time’ meeting for the Winchester District Over 55s Forum, one resident said he knew of elderly people affected because the new route goes around the Ashburton estate, in Alresford, rather than through it.

“Old people who live in Ashburton they cannot get to Alresford or Winchester,” he said.

“There are people waiting for a bus that never turns up.”

Mr Dyer told the meeting that one of the former services had been losing money while numbers on the 64 to Alresford were increasing so Stagecoach had increased the frequency and devised a faster more direct service to Winchester, which came into effect on October 30.

Mr Dyer said he would look again at the service and consider whether the company should change the route.

“People like a speedy trip, if we are going to attract people out of their cars to bus journey time is important to people,” he said.

“We have diverted the route off the main road to try and give a direct fast service into Winchester.

“Perhaps we haven’t picked out the right route in the estates to do it.”

Mr Dyer was also questioned why the service to and from Stanmore to Winchester meant people struggled to get into the city for Sunday church services or get back from the city beyond a certain time at night.

He said Stagecoach had to work mostly on a commercial basis with no support and the cost of running services in the evening would be greater than the number of fares they got.

He said the changes were due to county council cut backs.

He said running more services at night and less during the day would inconvenience far more people and lose the company revenue.

Mr Dyer was also asked why buses Winchester to Southampton General Hospital are less frequent and do not fit in with waiting times.

He said where a bus route was not financially viable Hampshire County Council would step in and contract out that service, such as to the hospital, but that county council cuts to public transport of 40 per cent had meant a cut back in this service.

Panellist Mark Surtees, district service manager for adult services at Hampshire County Council said the council had started this year needing a reduction of £24.7m from the adult services budget, but that they would protect essential services.

He said they provided quite a lot of transport for people that met the critical criteria.