The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A councillor says she supports a call for businesses to open more at night and on Sundays – but there would need to be more bus services.
Coun Jane King was responding to Coun Gary Taylor’s calls at a recent meeting.
“I totally agree with Coun Taylor and I know some businesses are opening on Sundays,” she said. “But in this day and age without a dedicated bus service it kyboshs the idea, as not everyone drives.
“Given how busy people’s lives are, sometimes Sunday is the only day they can go for a mooch around the shops, but there’s very few Sunday services now.
“Someone needs to give the bus services a kick up the bum and there should be more funding for them for services that are essential to a rural community like ours.”
Commentors on The Voice’s Facebook page were less enthused.
A spokesman for Pacey’s bakers said: “We closed at 2pm during the pandemic. We’ve since kept the same hours as the town is empty after that. I can’t imagine this would be of benefit to the town.”
A recent meeting of Lincolnshire County Council’s Highways and Transport Forum heard that bus services in the area are being hit by driver shortages.
It was discussed after Coun Thomas Dyer raised the issue of bus companies announcing services that weren’t running that day by Twitter.
“I can’t understand why services are being cancelled in the morning during rush hour when children have to go to school,” he said. “Surely Twitter’s not an appropriate way for a transport operator to communicate cancellations.
“A very small amount of the population are on it and an even smaller amount check it regularly.”
LCC’s assistant director for communities responded: “The driver shortage is massively hitting our bus network and our taxi network as well.
“What I’m seeing in terms of the cancellations is that contingency that operators used to have is far more difficult to have in place.
“We’ve seen a resurge in the last couple of weeks with COVID and that tends to be on the day. It will hit the driver meant to be on and the contingency driver.
“That’s where we’re getting this problem.
“It’s a double whammy so not ideal.
“All these aspects are forming part of our bus service improvement plan.
“We do need to look at other channels for cancellations on the day.”
A petition has been launched over the cutting of the number 37 bus service.
