The remarks come during a row over the decision to axe the Spondon Flyer
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A bus company has called on Derby City Council to do more to tackle congestion in the city in a war of words over services. Two members of the council suggested Trent Barton had let the people of Derby down during a debate over an axed service during a recent meeting.
But in a lengthy statement, Trent Barton hit back, sayingthe Spondon Flyer service that was terminatedwasnt viable because of a lack of passengers, and that the council needed to do more to make bus travel in the city more attractive. They said Trent Barton has regularly lobbied Derby City Council for more bus-friendly measures but without success.
The statement adds: Bus services into Derby are hamstrung by years and years of increased congestion on the arterial roads. The A52 is typical of this. The queues of cars mean buses take longer to complete each journey.
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We must either put on more buses at increased cost to deliver the timetable or we cut the timetable, making bus travel less attractive. Either way, the routes become less sustainable.
To make travel by bus more attractive than by car, we need many more bus-friendly measures such as access priority from bus lanes to help us beat the jams. We have lobbiedDerby City Councilfor this for years, sadly without success.
The row over bus services in the city began when Conservative councillor Nicola Roulstone and Labour councillor Hardyal Dhindsa made critical remarks during a debate about bus services in the city. Trent Barton said the comments were unfair and disappointing.
Earlier this year the bus company announced it was permanently cancelling the Spondon Flyer bus service. The announcement caused some dismay in Spondon where a public meeting was held following major concerns people would be isolated and businesses would struggle because of a lack of footfall due to the axing of the service. Trent Barton has consistently said that the Spondon Flyer was not attracting enough customers while it was running. But many in the community argue it was not given the chance to survive since the coronavirus pandemic.
This weekplans were agreed for Derby City Council to launch a trial bus service effectively replacing most of the service which the Spondon Flyer provided but avoiding stops at Derby city centre. Another similar trial service is also being set up to serve Allestree and Darley Abbey.
It was during a discussion over the plans at an executive scrutiny meeting where Spondon councillor Nicola Roulstone hit out at Trent Barton. She said: Ultimately as a Spondon resident, based on the conversations (Ive had) with Trent Barton who had the service, I feel they have let Spondon down. They have let the residents down.
The implications of what they have done have had a major effect mainly in Allestree, Spondon and potentially Mackworth because there is an older demographic in those areas. (The bus) was their lifeline to the wider world and to me it has caused a lot of social isolation and issues.
Soon afterwards, Labour councillor Hardyal Dhindsa echoed Councillor Roulstones remarks. He added: Trent Barton and other bus companies have let the people of Derby down in many parts of the community. Commercial viability or not, they have stopped many routes. I know many in the Normanton area were stopped. This has caused a negative impact and isolated many.
Responding to the criticism over the Spondon Flyer the bus company said the city council was told in advance that the service was at severe risk. It says: Up until very recently, we could never have dreamed that wed be faced with decisions as tough as these and they are made with a heavy heart. To suggest to the public of Derby that we are letting them down is unfair and disappointing.
We cannot commercially run services without sufficient customers. Not enough people were using the Spondon Flyer to cover its costs. We had been communicating with Derby City Council for months that the service was at risk.
We offered the council the opportunity to (financially) support the service. The city council had, and still has, the power to but chose not to.
The company says it is happy to meet councillors to discuss bus issues within the city.
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