Bus service axed

5:12pm Friday 18th January 2013 in News By Andrea Collitt

A BUS service between Colchester and East Mersea, run by Hedingham Buses, is to get the chop.
The company has decided to call it a day on the weekly 176 service as it cannot justify the costs.
Its last day will be on February 11.
The service currently leaves East Mersea at 9.30am on Mondays and arrives in Colchester an hour later.
It returns to East Mersea from the town at lunchtime.
Graham Smith, commercial manager for Hedingham Buses, said: “On that service the passenger numbers are relatively low and often 95 per cent of people we do carry are concessions which means they have free bus passes.”
Mr Smith said the service did not get any reimbursements from the Government and running costs were effectively not being covered.

 

Comments(12)

Im_Like_HELLO says...
5:26pm Fri 18 Jan 13

The same has already happened, I believe, with the weekly service from Tiptree to Chelmsford. It could be because it's only targeted at elderly passengers, running once a week, on a weekday, returning just a few hours later. Maybe they should try it on a Saturday when more people are free?

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skipsea says...
8:54pm Fri 18 Jan 13

Maybe it should have been added that Hedingham Buses is now part of the huge Go Ahead group where shareholders expect a bigger return on their investment.
I wonder if Hedingham had still been independant if the route, and some others, would have been withdrawn.

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Reginald47 says...
12:01am Sat 19 Jan 13

Is 'get the chop' really a mature journalistic term from a serious paper?

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Boris says...
2:21am Sat 19 Jan 13

Graham Smith is quoted as saying they are not reimbursed for journeys by OAPs with bus passes. But the bus companies collect 60p for every such journey regardless of route or distance. It may not be much, but it is something.
Clearly a service which is only once a week, and which allows you only a few hours in town, is going to have a very limited appeal.
There is (was?) a similar one from Mount Bures, once a week, which allows only 2 hours in Colchester before the return bus leaves.

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Boris says...
2:23am Sat 19 Jan 13

Reginald47 wrote:
Is 'get the chop' really a mature journalistic term from a serious paper?
Agreed, it is not suitable especially for an article of this type. It would be OK for a lighter story about somebody having his/her hair cut off to raise money for charity.

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hughie-s says...
8:26am Sat 19 Jan 13

Boris wrote:
Graham Smith is quoted as saying they are not reimbursed for journeys by OAPs with bus passes. But the bus companies collect 60p for every such journey regardless of route or distance. It may not be much, but it is something.
Clearly a service which is only once a week, and which allows you only a few hours in town, is going to have a very limited appeal.
There is (was?) a similar one from Mount Bures, once a week, which allows only 2 hours in Colchester before the return bus leaves.
Mount Bures is a County Council contract operated on Tuesdays & Fridays.

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wellnow says...
2:55pm Sat 19 Jan 13

I don't think any routes in colchester can be said to make money.the plethora of buses seen traveling in convoy most empty and those with passengers mainly carrying the gentle leasured ones in the community must run at a loss and be highly subsidised.

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Hamiltonandy says...
3:55pm Sat 19 Jan 13

I am sure the no 65 service is profitable as the buses are well used. So probably is the run to the University of Essex. Would be interested in "wellnow" indicating which bus routes have empty buses in convoy.

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hughie-s says...
6:38pm Sat 19 Jan 13

wellnow wrote:
I don't think any routes in colchester can be said to make money.the plethora of buses seen traveling in convoy most empty and those with passengers mainly carrying the gentle leasured ones in the community must run at a loss and be highly subsidised.
Must be making money as, apart from evenings and Sundays, virtually all are operating commercially and without subsidy. Ser 70 Colchester to Braintree was for years hourly, then a couple of years ago extended through to Chelmsford and increased to half hourly and since start of month is now every 20 minutes, not a sign of a loss maker.

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Boris says...
7:55pm Sat 19 Jan 13

hughie-s wrote:
Boris wrote:
Graham Smith is quoted as saying they are not reimbursed for journeys by OAPs with bus passes. But the bus companies collect 60p for every such journey regardless of route or distance. It may not be much, but it is something.
Clearly a service which is only once a week, and which allows you only a few hours in town, is going to have a very limited appeal.
There is (was?) a similar one from Mount Bures, once a week, which allows only 2 hours in Colchester before the return bus leaves.
Mount Bures is a County Council contract operated on Tuesdays & Fridays.
Thanks, hughie, for that correction.

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wellnow says...
11:33am Sun 20 Jan 13

are you blind andy? Walk a few routes different to the tolgate v tesco route and see what passes you.Q0

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Hamiltonandy says...
11:39pm Sun 20 Jan 13

I must admit to "wellnow" the only bus route I use is the no 65. So am ignorant of other routes but will keep my eyes open.

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