Resist cuts to routes and services.

The word on the street seems to be that with the discontinuation of the bus service run by Cooks Coaches, Stagecoach are planning to cut both services and to discontinue the Wyndhan road leg of the current route. It is to be hoped that our local representitives will resist any cuts to either the current service or existing routes.

The case is clear. Silverton has a population of over two thousand many of whom are either elderly or have young families. More people would alnost certainly use the buses if they could if it remained frequent and accessible. The idea of people having to walk from the village to the main road to get a half hourly service given the danger of the hil they have to walk is absurd and the Wyndham road route has proved a major boon to the elderly, commuters students who live at that end of the village. If Wyndham road/Coach rod is not accessible to double deckers or large single deckers then surely Stagecoach could run the modern disabled and pram friendly minibuses that they are already running on the main Exeter-Tiverton route.

The whole issue reminds us of how disasterous the deregulation of bus services has been for rural communities throughout these islands. Whilst companies like Stagecoach have made billions ordinary bus passengers have seen their services cut to shreds Since the demise of Devon General our community has suffered cut after cut in bus services with the increasing reliance on the car which all political parties now deem unacceptible at its current level. When will any government be prepared to put people before profit when developing public transport policies.