[The Guardian] Minibuses make sense on rural routes | Letters

Minibuses make sense on rural routes | Letters

Standard-size buses could be replaced with minibuses as a cheaper alternative on many rural routes, argues Mike Parker

Your article (Almost a fifth of England’s rural bus services have vanished in the past five years, 7 June) didn’t cover the costs of operation or the purposes of rural (and suburban) bus services. Different from urban areas, the bulk of their use is by those on low incomes, particularly pensioners, most of whom cannot afford a car or are unable to drive one. Over 20% of UK households do not have access to a car. Passenger demand for such services is relatively low in terms of numbers, but for those who do use them it is usually the only way they can get to the shops, go to the doctor, see friends etc. I have heard many describe their local bus service as a lifeline.

The problem in terms of cost – but also in terms of image – is that a large standard bus, carrying six or seven passengers much of the time, is hugely expensive to operate and, for the onlookers in their cars, a “wasteful” use of council tax.

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Source: Minibuses make sense on rural routes | Letters

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