 |
Buses in Hythe |
|
It might be just that little bit harder to plan an evening out in the Fawley area if you rely on a bus to get you to your destination. Hampshire County Council has proposed to withdraw its subsidy on the Solent BlueLine X9 bus Hythe - Fawley/Langley Saturday evening service.
It is one of 20 services throughout Hampshire that are under threat.
If it goes ahead, the bus subsidy for the X9 route will be withdrawn completely in October, along with another 11 subsidies througout the county drastically reduced. According to the Council, the proposal will only affect 1,270 passengers using the X9 annually, and would save the County Council approximately £8,000 per year.
The proposal has been put forward in order to "manage the 2005/06 cost pressures on the bus subsidy budget" by "prioritising support for public transport services for people to access employment, education, shopping and medical facilities according to the level passenger subsidy per journey".
Unfortunately, not everyone has a 9 - 5 Monday to Friday job, some people work part time in the evenings, especially at weekends, and may rely on public transport. What if you need to get to an "Out of Hours GP surgery" appointment and are not fit to drive because you are ill? Yes, of course, family or friends may be able to help - but what if you are elderly and living alone with no one to help you? The cost of a taxi may be a considerable strain for some.
Saturday nights used to be the one night of the week where you could go out and socialise with your friends, before catching the last bus home. Parents could feel happy and reassured in the knowledge that their teenagers could get home safely using public transport. This is about to change. Local people now face the prospect of a journey which is fraught with anxiety. A "teenager taxi service" operated by parents or youth groups does not solve public transport issues in the Fawley area.
What about the impact on the environment? We are all aware about the pollution in our towns and cities due to increased exhaust fumes, which affect us all on a global scale. If people are forced to use cars rather than public transport, what hope do future generations have to live in a healthy environment?
Get a bike? That's not a safe option in Fawley, according to the petitions going around the area at the moment either!
The costs of funding this bus subsidy on a Saturday evening are minimal to those of the potential loss of employment, the possible consequences of driving a vehicle when unwell, and the inherent dangers of walking down an unlit road without footpaths, let alone the impact on the environment. |
