Stagecoach boss defends bus cuts in Winchester

Stagecoach has come under fire over the cutting of part of 4 service into Fulflood and the 61 service between Winchester and Eastleigh through villages such as Colden Common and Twyford.

A protest petition in Fulflood quickly gathered more than 300 names last month.

James O'Neill, commercial director of Stagecoach South, spoke at Winchester Town Forum to explain the decision. He said the 4 service was attracting only a handful of people and was uneconomic to continue.

He said the decision was not taken lightly as the company was aware of the social impact.

"We are not getting enough people to pay for that service. People weren't using buses on a daily basis and that is what we need. Any negative move is a last resort. It can undermine other routes."

Edna Boden, from Fulflood, spoke at the forum to criticise the decision. "I have lived in Greenhill Road since 1971 and am a regular user of the number 4 bus. I'm distressed and angry that this community service has been taken away. It has isolated elderly residents and is damaging to their health and well-being."

Edna Boden(Image: )

Winchester Town Forum is a city council committee and comprises councillors in the city wards, currently all Liberal Democrat.

The councillors were unhappy that they had no forewarning and that the first anyone knew about the cuts was when notices went up at bus stops earlier this summer.

Cllr Chris Westwood said: "We are concerned for the residents for whom this is a vital service. There are people who rely on number 4 for doctors, to go shopping and continue to live independently."

He said he knew of a Fulflood couple who were now probably selling their house to move into a care home because of the closure of the 4 route on August 31.

Cllr Lucille Thompson said the dropping of the 4 bus highlighted the isolation of the Chilbolton Avenue area.

She was unhappy about the way it was handled. She said to Mr O'Neill: "Just putting a notice in bus stops does seem inappropriate really. If people had been advised several months in advance that routes were at risk they may used it more. We are disappointed you did not come to us and let us know the service was going to be cut. We found out at the same time as the passengers and were just as shocked."

Cllr Mark Reach said the high dividends paid to Stagecoach shareholders made marginal routes such as number 4 and 61 uneconomic. These routes should be subsidised from the high profits.

Bus demo in Colden Common against the closure of the 61 service(Image: Contributed)

The 61 route was subsidised by the county council but it has withdrawn it to save money.

City council leader Martin Tod said there needed to be joined-up thinking with the social impact of cuts taken into account.

The meeting heard that some services have been enhanced including 64 to Alresford and 69 to the southern parishes. The 69 will no longer go down St Cross Road but instead go onto the M3 via Bar End Road. A new service is running to Andover and the 66 to Romsey will run every 30 minutes.

Mr O'Neill said the post-Covid recovery in passenger numbers had been slower in Winchester than elsewhere.

On the good news the town forum is ceasing to subsidise the number 3 night bus because it is now commercially viable.

Cllr Kelsie Learney said there was time in Winchester when the last bus ran at 9.30pm. "Our subsidy encouraged later buses every night and the service was extended to Kings Worthy and Alresford. It shows how pump priming of bus services, even if it takes ten years, can be a success. Having the will to keep going when you can see you are making a difference."