Is First also withdrawing the services that it runs on X4 so the service is totally withdrawn?
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We are disappointed with Wilts & Dorset bus company^s decision to cease their involvement in the X4 Salisbury-Bath bus service. However, it is important to note Wiltshire County Council has not cut funding to this route.
Discussions are ongoing with First, who also operate journeys on this service, to see if they are able to operate the entire service.
However, we do understand that new legislation will mean that, from January next year, operators of long distance services, such as this one, will need to invest more money on their vehicles and drivers.
This, coupled with the fact journey times have increased, has led to the bus operators requiring extra resources to run this route.
In the event that "First" are unable to operate all of the journeys, the county council will look into providing alternatives as it is an important lifeline to those communities along the route that are not close to a train station
With regard to the Salisbury Swindon bus service, this is expected to continue, although because of
EU» legislation difficulties it may be necessary for passengers to change buses at Pewsey (although the connection would be guarranteed). However as this is what normally happened up to a year ago, passengers shouldn^t notice much difference.
This is becoming an increasing problem around the Country with bus routes in excess of 50km, as EU legislation effectively classes these as long distance services to which the more restrictive EU drivers hours regulations apply. A toughening up of these rules from 1st January 2008 is making it much more difficult (and expensive) for bus companies to operate longer routes and therefore they are all having to make some tough decisions on whether they can continue to resource them or whether to hand them over to the County Council to decide what to do with.
Meanwhile we have to sit here and wait for them to advise us of their decision, with very little power to influence it.
