First bus service cuts and job losses in Somerset (Western Daily Press 24/05/13)

[whole diary]

[JayMac]

Just picked up on this news via another forum. More evidence of slash and burn from First Group in an effort to balance the books.

From the Western Daily Press:

First bus service cuts and job losses loom in Somerset

Troubled bus operator First last night cut a number of services in Somerset ^ potentially damaging the county^s economic recovery.

First Group, which earlier this week revealed to the City a terrible set of figures that sparked a 30 per cent decline in its share price, said it was cutting routes in Bridgwater, Taunton and Weston-super-Mare. There is also a risk of up to 12 redundancies.
​
Public transport campaigner David Redgewell, of the South West Transport Network, called for Somerset MPs^▸ (Member of Parliament) to join talks over the future of services in the county.

The announcement follows an in depth review of the company^s entire network.
 
Mr Redgewell said: ^I am calling for an urgent meeting led by Somerset County Council and First and for another led by the West of England Partnership and North Somerset Council. Somerset MPs need to be involved. This will affect the economy of the countryside and Somerset as a county. First has been making operating losses and paid no dividends and it has been hit by the result of the West Coast rail line fiasco, but we can^t lose these rural lifelines.^

In Taunton, First revealed plans to increase the frequency of buses on service 22 from every 20 minutes to every 15, but will be removing service 2. In Weston-super-Mare First proposes to remove service 1 and service 14. In Bridgwater, First proposes to remove town services 1, 2 and 3, but will register a brand new service which will mean that many of its existing customers will continue to benefit from a First service.

First said that the routes to be removed have underperformed for a number of years, despite the introduction of a variety of marketing and promotional initiatives. The company is now faced with extra cost pressures due to the economic climate, high fuel prices, increased competition and cuts in external funding. It said the proposed changes to the routes will ensure the long term sustainability of other, better-used services.

First has also started the collective consultation process with trade unions on the possibility of up to 12 redundancies at its Bridgwater bus depot. However, the company is hopeful, following positive discussions yesterday that no redundancies will be necessary and rather affected staff will be offered opportunities in neighbouring depots.

The consultation process began on Monday and will conclude next Thursday.

Paul Matthews, service delivery director, said: ^We are considering some changes to our services in Somerset and I^m sorry that some of our customers may be adversely affected. We have been running some services at a loss for some time, despite our best efforts to encourage greater demand. As a commercial operator, we simply cannot afford to continue to fund such little-used routes. I know that some of our customers will be disappointed with our proposals but we will be working with Somerset County Council on the future of bus services in the area. I can assure customers that we remain fully committed to operating services across Somerset and will continuously look for opportunities to grow the network where demand exists. Our proposals do not, in any way, reflect the commitment and quality of our staff. I cannot speak highly enough of their professionalism and dedication. We will be doing everything that we can and will explore all options to avoid making any of our staff redundant.^

Some 40 staff are employed at First^s Bridgwater depot, which operates 24 buses.

[thetrout]

Ouch...!

I wonder how long before East Somerset starts getting service cuts. A lot of our twice weekly services to rural villages have been withdrawn despite some of them being regularly used albeit by pass holders.

I'm wondering now how safe the 161's rural route is now! 267 weekend services more of a concern. Lose those and I'm in trouble!

[Chris from Nailsea]

Hmm. 

In the harsh, even brutal, world of commercialism, no public transport service is immune from being cut.  If any particular service doesn't at least pay its way, far less make a profit for its operator, it will be cut.  And if it isn't, one should perhaps question the business acumen of the operator. 

Looking at those services that have been cut by First in the quoted article:

First said that the routes to be removed have underperformed for a number of years, despite the introduction of a variety of marketing and promotional initiatives. The company is now faced with extra cost pressures due to the economic climate, high fuel prices, increased competition and cuts in external funding. It said the proposed changes to the routes will ensure the long term sustainability of other, better-used services.

Paul Matthews, service delivery director, said: ^We are considering some changes to our services in Somerset and I^m sorry that some of our customers may be adversely affected. We have been running some services at a loss for some time, despite our best efforts to encourage greater demand. As a commercial operator, we simply cannot afford to continue to fund such little-used routes. I know that some of our customers will be disappointed with our proposals but we will be working with Somerset County Council on the future of bus services in the area. I can assure customers that we remain fully committed to operating services across Somerset and will continuously look for opportunities to grow the network where demand exists.

(My highlighting.)

[TonyK]

I think cuts in the payments made to operators for concessionary fares may have a large part to play here. That has already done for services previously run by other operators in Somerset, and it looks as though First are having similar problems. The decisions were made by national government, so the local district councils, already strapped for cash anyway, can do little, but have an excuse. All the bus lanes and fancy bus stops in the Greater Bristol Bus Network will be of little use without bus services. The loss of little-used services will have a knock-on effect, as confidence in bus services falls.

Against this backdrop, West of England Partnership want to build Bust Rabid Transit, and find an operator to run it cheaply. We'll see.

[trainer]

I have been saying for some time now that by the time I qualify for a bus pass there will be no buses to use.  Hospital visits are already either a half day's trek (about 1.5 hours each way by bus from Clevedon to Weston Hospital and over two hours for Southmead and Frenchay) or impossible if the appointment is not in the middle of the day and leisure trips, apart from Bristol, have to be completed by early evening.

As the franchise system has, IMHO^▸ (in my humble opinion), been shown to be the worst way to run the railways with private enterprise, so the the complete free-for-all for the buses (outside London and Northern Ireland) has not been able to provide a comprehensive service even in moderately sized towns.  I accept that rural areas will never have urban levels of service, and cities/towns with a large student population fare better, but it seems that there is a lack of will alongside the lack of legal power by local authorities to prioritise good public transport - which will be buses in the outlying areas and rail-based in cities/conurbations.

First are only doing what a responsible shareholder-beholden company must do.

[Red Squirrel]

...cities/towns with a large student population fare better...

For 'student', read 'young'!

I was at Montpelier Station at midday last Saturday. To the best of my knowledge there was nothing special happening anywhere up and down the Severn Beach line that day, yet I would estimate that there were around 40 people at the station and when I caught my train it was, as it often is, packed. That's no bad thing in itself, but what stood out to me was that most of the passengers were under 30.

If you want to foresee the future, look at the demographics: young people are abandoning the car and taking to public transport. But young people are also being squeezed out of rural areas by a lack of jobs and affordable housing.

I can't see that there's much hope for rural routes while these trends continue, and I can't see any signs that they will not continue.

[grahame]

... but it seems that there is a lack of will alongside the lack of legal power by local authorities to prioritise good public transport ...

First are only doing what a responsible shareholder-beholden company must do.

If you want to foresee the future, look at the demographics: young people are abandoning the car and taking to public transport.

I think you're spot on, Red Squirrel.   Trainer - I see ... a tremendous frustration at times on the part of passenger group and responsible / caring local authority teams (and some of them are responsible and caring). Resources that could be used better - more income generated from more customers being served at less cost.  With a big problem being the gap between commercial and subsidised services.  If a route's commercial, then multiple opeartors run on it and each looks after their shareholder's interests first and foremost - and if that means running at the most popular time just like their competitors do, or 5 minues ahead, so be it.

In a truely regulated market - with contracts let to run bus services and the commercial companies being managers (London and Northere Ireland?), we could take all the buses on the 234, x34, 235, X96 and Zigzag routes - Chippenham to Frome and via some of the villages - that's probably around 10 buses / 120 driver shifts per week, and come up with something joined up. 

As it is, 234 and x34 leave Chippenham station for the first time at around 15:18 and 15:22 in the afternoon, in pairs for the next 3 hours, just as the 19:15 train arrives and at 22:20 or so.  Yes - the four "pairs" are the busiest times, but the buses are more than half empty.

How much better to cover 8 different times ... 15:22 and hourly to 18:22 for sure, 20:22, 22:22 ... and how about 08:22, 10:22, 12:22 and 14:22?  I know it's not that simple - you can't set bus routes around a single stop, but with a bit of manoevering around, you could end up with 07:22, hourly to 19:22, 21:22 and 23:22.    3 buses an hour along the corridor (same number as currently on x34 and 234 alone) but one service taking in the villages between Chippenham and Melksham, and another taking in the villages between Melksham and Trowbridge, thus covering Zigzag, 235 and X96 routes ... using half of the vehicles they currently have on them, yet adding villages to Chippenham Station as a journey opportunity, adding Bradford-on-Avon to Melksham as a usable service (last but currently 14:01!) etc ...

[trainer]

You sum up my frustration well, Graham.  I have just visited Weston-super-Mare and driven a disabled relative around for a break from his care home.  Between Weston and Sand Bay - a distance of only a few miles, but very picturesque - four buses not even half full from two different companies in the space of 35 minutes passed on the same route.  How very wasteful in a country supposedly serious about carbon emissions.  This is an inevitable result of competition: cheaper fares, but other expensive, hidden costs carried by everyone.

A good friend of mine worked for a while in the local authority transport section and a more committed individual you couldn't meet.  She is disabled, a real eco-warrior and used the buses she was responsible for, so I know the councils have officers who take their jobs seriously. It is the framework they operate in that makes me growl  .  My own local authority has made some wise decisions over rural buses, but, as has been referred to elsewhere, are lacking in a vision for the wider regional potential, because they don't need one to get elected.

Yes Red Squirrel, it seems that young people generally are happy to use public transport where available - most of the youngsters in my family who live in cities do so even where they have cars: I agree very much with your point.  I think I mentioned students because this adds to the concentration of potential bus users in university and college towns and cities.

[Andrew1939 from West Oxon]

Yes - Red Sqwiuirrel is correct that a high proportion of young people ina the population does help public transport to be more viable as can be seen in my locality - Oxfordshire. However that is juust not enough as in Oxford many of the students come from wealthy families with money to burn on providing their offspring with cars, hence a very big on-street parking in the student residential areas of Oxford. However Oxford City Council decided some 40 years ago thathighway imporvemnts could not be provided both on econmic grounds and damage to the the many Oxford historic buildings and introduced what was called the Balanced Transport Policy that aimed to discourage vehicles from entering Oxford and by providing Park and Ride car parks on the fringes of Oxford with fast and frequent bus services with the aid of bus lanes. This was supplemented by policies of not providing any more additional city centre parking spaces together with a car park charging policy designed to discourage people bringing cars into Oxford. It has on the whole been very successful with in town traffic congestion being no worse than 40 years ago. However outside of Oxford, vehicles queue at peak hours for miles in all directions as people head for the park and ride car parks with thousands of spaces, mostly well filled. There are still many cars coming into Oxford but theya re the ones that have private off-street parking places such as many of the colleges. 30 years ago it was recorded that Oxford had more off-street parking spaces than any other UK^▸ (United Kingdom) city or town of similar size. I am still familar with these facts from years ago as I was employed as a planning and transport accountant. Now there are frequent bus services all over Oxford nearly all run commercially with subsidy only needed for evening and sunday services in some areas of the city. Unfortunately if you live, as I do, in reural Oxon and not in one of the coomuting twons such as Witney and Bicester, bus services are still very poor despite being subsidised by the county council. However because of the overall high bus use, the highest of any of the UK's rural counties, Oxon bus services have not had to be cut to the same extent as other counties such as Somerset where the marginal cost of car use is a lot less than using public transport, so car use is high and public transport is low.

[Scott]

In a truely regulated market - with contracts let to run bus services and the commercial companies being managers (London and Northere Ireland?), we could take all the buses on the 234, x34, 235, X96 and Zigzag routes - Chippenham to Frome and via some of the villages - that's probably around 10 buses / 120 driver shifts per week, and come up with something joined up. 

As it is, 234 and x34 leave Chippenham station for the first time at around 15:18 and 15:22 in the afternoon, in pairs for the next 3 hours, just as the 19:15 train arrives and at 22:20 or so.  Yes - the four "pairs" are the busiest times, but the buses are more than half empty.

How much better to cover 8 different times ... 15:22 and hourly to 18:22 for sure, 20:22, 22:22 ... and how about 08:22, 10:22, 12:22 and 14:22?  I know it's not that simple - you can't set bus routes around a single stop, but with a bit of manoevering around, you could end up with 07:22, hourly to 19:22, 21:22 and 23:22.    3 buses an hour along the corridor (same number as currently on x34 and 234 alone) but one service taking in the villages between Chippenham and Melksham, and another taking in the villages between Melksham and Trowbridge, thus covering Zigzag, 235 and X96 routes ... using half of the vehicles they currently have on them, yet adding villages to Chippenham Station as a journey opportunity, adding Bradford-on-Avon to Melksham as a usable service (last but currently 14:01!) etc ...

You^ve heard it yourself though grahame ^ for the companies to talk to other companies about anything, they have to record mountains of data and information just to legally certify such a meeting ^ and we all know just how difficult it is. For the buses to be coordinated like that would surely take intervention from Wiltshire CC, and by the time that happens we^re practically in regulated territory anyway as the thread has been leaning towards, but equally regulation of such a market would be a backward step in the 21st Century.

(I am so not looking forward to this aspect of working in the bus industry.)

P.S.: A typo exists in the article. It should say the 92 in Taunton.

[grahame]

... but equally regulation of such a market would be a backward step in the 21st Century.

Hmmm ... I can't help feeling that's political dogma at the expense of the user of the service.  Is there an alternative set of arrangements that would provide the independence from regulation, and also overcome some of the negative issues of the current system?

[trainer]

I'm sorry to disagree with the very knowledgeable Scott, but having seen regulated bus services serve the public when there is no commercial drive (already mentioned London and Northern Ireland, as well as countries such as Switzerland and Sweden), I believe private companies and public oversight can operate in a way which can mean less waste of resources and more useful services.

I think the problem could be less profit for the private sector (which is why Mr Souter of Stagecoach is so strongly opposed) and the protection of inefficient companies.  However, 'efficiency' can mean poorly paid staff working long hours (not just drivers who are regulated by law), which takes me back to a previous point I made about deregulating bringing cheaper fares, but other expensive, hidden costs carried by everyone.

The dead hand of the National Bus Company is not required to be resurrected, but we (the travelling punter) need public transport that doesn't just cream off the lucrative routes and times. Sometimes, smaller units can provide these 'out of hours' services better than the 'big boys', but whoever it is, I want a safe, modern vehicle with friendly staff who are not forced to decline my ticket because it was bought on another operators vehicle.

[As a matter of accuracy, I need to say that even the esteemed countries mentioned above don't run many/any buses around the rural areas late evening.]
 

[Scott]

If you want to disagree then do so Not like it's never happened on a forum before, especially in threads with a greater political side than the average (one of the mods - he knows who he is - will know this all too well).

I agree that some operators have taken the idea of profit above all else way too far. There's a reason that some operators, Brighton & Hove for example, are so well received - they put people first and provide an excellent service. And that in turn drives great profit, allowing them to continue in the same way. Others, such as Wessex around Bath, have no interest in who they are serving and as soon as something starts to fail they walk.

We need more like the former and less like the latter. With lots of B&Hs^▸ (Berks and Hants - railway line from Reading to Taunton via Westbury), we wouldn't need a regulated market to keep customers happy - but the competitive element is still there which in turn gives greater choice and service.

Fanciful thinking

[JayMac]

(one of the mods - he knows who he is - will know this all too well).

I've retired from politics over there. I get into trouble. Too much like this:

Well... maybe just to the backbenches for a while. But I am also considering taking up the stewardship of the Chiltern Hundreds.   

 

[Lee]

Official comment from First Bus on the forthcoming bus service changes in Somerset:

Bus service changes in Somerset, from 28 July

A number of changes are being made to bus services in Somerset and the surrounding areas from Sunday 28 July, as First takes steps to improve the local network.

The changes are the result of a comprehensive review of the town services operated in Taunton and Bridgwater in order to ensure that customers are offered the best possible choice of services to meet their needs, while maintaining a commercially viable operation.

The alterations affect the following services in Bridgwater 1, 2, 3, 14/614/615, 622 and the following in Taunton 2, 3/3A, 4, 5, 6, 7, 21, 22/22A, 25/25A, 28/X28 and 92.

Commenting on the changes, Simon Ford, regional network manager, First, said: "Our aim has been to better match our resources to customer demand, which means that in some cases frequencies have been increased, while in other cases they have been slightly reduced. There are also a number of route changes, many of which are as a direct result of feedback from passengers.

"Changes to the reimbursement for concessionary pass holder travel over recent years have had a significant impact on the commercial viability of many services, while increased operating costs, such as higher fuel prices and reductions in subsidies received, have all affected the financial performance of our services. Unfortunately, this means that in some cases the money taken on board some services doesn't cover the costs of running the bus itself and, despite looking at a number of ways to change this, we have had to conclude that it's simply not possible to continue to running these services any longer. We have, however, tried to ensure that where services are withdrawn, people are offered an alternative.

"We would urge customers to carefully check the new timetables for the affected services. They will be available online from 12 July and in hard copy format from our Travel Shops from 19 July.

Specific changes affecting services in Bridgwater from 28 July

Bridgwater Service 1 (Bridgwater Town Service): The current Service 1 timetable will be replaced on 28 July by a new one which is designed to retain a service to many parts of the town. The revised route 1 will operate every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday daytime, from Kings Drive via Sydenham (direct along Parkway), through the town centre (High Street and Bus Station), along Taunton Road and then along a one-way loop via Wills Road and Rhode Lane (not serving Gloucester Road).

Bridgwater Service 2 (Bridgwater Town Service): The current Service 2 timetable will be withdrawn from 28 July but customers will have access to alternatives. Specifically Service 1 (see above) will run along Parkway, while Service 14 will provide journey opportunities for customers living in Durleigh.

Bridgwater Service 3 (Bridgwater Town Service): The current Service 3 timetable will be withdrawn from 28 July, although people will still be able to travel on Services 1 and 21, which will provide some alternatives for people living along the route.

Service 14/614/615 (Bridgwater - Watchet): From 28 July the route that Service 14 buses take will be changing slightly. This change is being made to provide bus services to parts of Durleigh in Bridgwater, to minimise the impact of the loss of Service 2. In addition, Services 614 and 615 are being renumbered and from 28 July these will be known as Services 14 and 15 respectively and will be operated commercially by First.

Service 622 (Bridgwater College Service): From 28 July Service 622 will be withdrawn, however a partial replacement is being provided in the form of additional journeys on Service 21, which will operate to and from Bridgwater College.

Specific changes affecting services in Taunton from 28 July

Taunton Service 1 (Wellsprings - Parade via Ladymead Road, Parade, Normandy Drive) and Service 1A (Wellsprings - Juniper Road via Ladymead Road, Parade, Chestnut Drive): A number of changes are being made. Specifically the Service 1A route variation is being withdrawn while the route that Service 1 follows is being amended slightly so that buses only operate between Taunton Parade and Wellsprings. At the same time the frequency of Service 1 buses is being altered. From 28 July this will increase from one bus every 15 minutes to one every 10 minutes. This means there will be two additional buses every hour Monday to Saturday daytime.

Service 1 will continue to operate every 60 minutes on Sundays and Public Holidays during the main part of the day, but buses will follow the standard route and will not serve Priorswood. Service 1 will also no longer provide a cross-town service, instead those wishing to travel to Calder Crescent and Lime Crescent from Wellsprings will need to change buses at Taunton Parade.

Taunton Service 2 (Taunton Town Service): Service 2 will operate between Taunton Parade and Priorswood every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday daytime, replacing part of the current Service 3 route. The hours of operation remain similar to the current timetable. Following requests from passengers for improved links to shops in Priorswood, the route will be revised slightly and on the return to Taunton Parade buses will operate further along Eastwick Road, turning into Victory Road before rejoining the current route. A short section of Lyngford Road will no longer be served.

Customers who currently travel on Service 3 from Priorswood and the Railway Station across town to Musgrove Park Hospital will be able to change buses at Taunton Parade, where there will be a bus to Musgrove Park Hospital every 15 minutes.

Taunton Service 3 (Bishops Hull - Priorswood via Parade) and 3A (Musgrove Park Hospital - Nerolls Farm via Parade): The route that Service 3 buses take is being changed slightly so that Service 3 buses run between Taunton Parade and Bishops Hull via Taunton Bus Station and Musgrove Park Hospital. This change means there will a new direct link from Bishops Hull. The alterations do mean though that a short section of Wellington Road will no longer be served by Service 3, but people living in the area will be able to use Services 22/22A instead. Similarly the changes mean that the section of the current route between Taunton Parade and Priorswood will no longer be served by Service 3, but customers will be able to use Service 2 instead (see above). The hours of operation remain similar to the current timetable.

Service 3A will be withdrawn but, with the exception of Nerrols Drive and the Crown Medical Centre, all sections of route will continue to be served by other buses. Those people needing to travel to the Medical centre by bus are advised to use services on the main road.

Taunton Service 4 (Lane Estate - Galmington via Wheatley Crescent, Town Centre, Musgrove Park Hospital): From 28 July Service 4 will operate between Taunton Parade and Lane Estate every 20 minutes Monday to Saturday daytime, with the Taunton Parade to Galmington section of route replaced by Service 7 (see below). The hours of operation remain similar to those currently in force. The Saturday frequency will be increased from every 30 minutes to every 20 minutes, providing an extra journey every hour.

Customers wishing to travel from Lane Estate to Musgrove Park Hospital may change buses at Taunton Parade to Services 3 and 7 which, when combined together, will provide four buses an hour to Musgrove Park Hospital.

Taunton Service 5 (Taunton Town Service): From 28 July Service 5 will operate between Taunton Parade and Calder Crescent every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday daytime, replacing part of the current Service 1. The hours of operation will remain similar to the current timetable.

The changes mean though that customers who currently use Service 1 and who wish to travel between Taunton Parade and Calder Crescent will, from 28 July, need to change between Services 1 and 5 at Taunton Parade.

Taunton Service 6 (Taunton Town Service): Service 6 will operate between Taunton Parade and Lime Crescent every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday daytime, which replaces part of the current Service 1A. The hours of operation will remain similar to the current timetable.

Any customers who currently use Service 1A and who wish to travel between Taunton Parade and Lime Crescent will need to change between Services 1A and 6 at Taunton Parade.

Taunton Service 7 (Taunton Town Service): Service 7 will operate between Taunton Parade and Galmington every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday daytime, replacing part of the current Service 4. This means that the frequency of buses to Galmington will be reduced from every 20 minutes to every 30 minutes, which better reflects customer demand for this section of route. The hours of operation will remain similar to the current timetable.

The route is revised slightly from Taunton Parade with buses operating via Wellington Road to Musgrove Park Hospital and then Parkfield Drive before joining the current route. This route will be operated in reverse for journeys towards Taunton Parade.

Any customers who currently use Service 4 and who wish to travel between Taunton Parade and Galmington will need to change between Services 4 and 7 at Taunton Parade.

Service 21 (Taunton - Burnham-on-Sea): Some evening journeys are being removed from 28 July because, while First has tried to operate them on a commercial basis since financial support from Somerset County Council was withdrawn in 2011, they are not commercially viable. Put simply, the number of people using the buses at these times does not cover the cost of running the buses themselves. This means that from the 28 July the last Monday - Friday journey from Taunton will be at 1945 hours and the last journey from Burnham-on-Sea will be at 1920 hours (1905 hours on Saturday).

First will continue to operate a Sunday/Public Holiday timetable on a commercial basis, and journeys are generally being brought forward by 25 minutes in each direction to provide improved connections with other services. Buses will depart Taunton every 60 minutes between 0805 and 1705 hours and from Burnham-on-Sea every 60 minutes between 0920 and 1620 hours and then 1715 hours and 1815 hours.

Finally, to minimise the impact of changes affecting Service 622 (Bridgwater College Service), two extra journeys - operating on Bridgwater College days only - are being added to the timetable of Service 21. Specifically a double deck bus will depart Taunton Bus Station at 0755 hours and operate via the current Service 622 route to Bridgwater College. In the afternoon the bus will depart Bridgwater College at 1645 hours and operate via the current Service 622 route to Taunton Bus Station.

Service 22/22A (Taunton - Tonedale/Rockwell Green): There are a number of changes to Service 22/22A from 28 July and customers are advised to check the new timetable carefully before travelling.

The current Service 22 between Taunton and Tonedale will be re-numbered as Service 22A, while the current Service 22A between Taunton and Rockwell Green will be re-numbered as Service 22.

The timetable has also been completely re-designed to provide a clockface 15 minute frequency for much of the day Monday to Saturday along the common section of route between Taunton and Wellington. Service 22 will operate every 30 minutes between Taunton and Rockwell Green and Service 22A will operate every 30 minutes between Taunton and Tonedale.

This change represents a frequency increase from every 20 minutes to every 15 minutes between Taunton and Wellington and will also mean a frequency increase from every 60 minutes to every 30 minutes between Wellington and Tonedale, providing an extra journey opportunity every hour. Passengers between Wellington and Rockwell Green will benefit from a clockface 30 minute frequency, rather than the current 20/40 minute frequency.

Monday to Saturday evening journeys will be withdrawn and the last journeys will be as follows: 2000 hours from Taunton to Rockwell Green, 2027 hours from Tonedale to Taunton and 2040 hours from Rockwell Green to Taunton.

First will continue to operate a Sunday and Public Holiday timetable, although departure times will be revised to depart Taunton every 60 minutes between 0845 and 1745 hours and Rockwell Green every 60 minutes between 0926 and 1826 hours.

Finally, to minimise the impact of changes affecting Service 92, a number of journeys on Service 22 are being extended to start or finish at Tiverton. Specifically there will be journeys on Service 22 from Tiverton at 0715, 1015, 1245 and 1515 hours, while there will be journeys from Taunton to Tiverton at 0900, 1130 and 1400 hours and one from Richard Huish College to Tiverton/Cullompton at 1640 hours.

Service 25/25A (Taunton - Cotford St. Luke/Dulverton): There are a number of changes to the timetable of this service as some journeys are removed from the timetable and the times of others changed slightly. Customers are strongly advised to get a copy of the new timetable to understand the impact the changes will have on them.

Service 28/X28 (Taunton - Minehead): A number of changes are being made to the timetable of Service 28, effective from 28 July, and notably Service X28 is being reintroduced from the same date for the summer (until 30 August 2013) to provide additional, express journeys, between Taunton Railway Station and Minehead Butlins. These journeys will connect as much as possible with the arrival and departures of key Cross Country rail services.

As regards Service 28, some evening journeys on this service - which First took over commercially a few years ago when local authority support for them was lost - are being removed because they do not carry enough people to make them commercially sustainable. This means that from 28 July the last Monday to Saturday journey from Taunton will be at 2000 hours and at 1840 hours from Minehead.

In addition to this the timetable across the rest of the day is being altered in places, with some journeys put back by up to 10 minutes.

Service 92 (Taunton - Tiverton): In order to better match resources against the demand for journeys, Service 92 is being withdrawn from 28 July. People living along the route will still have access to bus services though, as a number of journeys on Service 22 are being extended to operate to and from Tiverton during the day. Specifically there will be journeys on Service 22 from Tiverton at 0715, 1015, 1245 and 1515 hours, while there will be journeys from Taunton to Tiverton at 0900, 1130 and 1400 hours and one from Richard Huish College to Tiverton/Cullompton at 1640 hours.

For more information about the changes, to view new and existing timetables or to find out more about First, log onto www.firstgroup.com/somerset. New timetables will be available online from 12 July and in hard copy format (from Travel Shops) from 19 July.

Wherever you feel the blame lies, the final withdrawal of late evening journeys on the Burnham and Minehead routes which First have been running commercially since the loss of local authority support is something I find very depressing, frankly.