The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Older passengers are risking life and limb by using overcrowded buses after Spalding’s Into Town service was slashed.
Regular passengers Carol Hudson (66) and her 19-year-old granddaughter Daisy say they fear an older person could easily take a tumble as the bus stops and starts on its way between the estates and the town centre.
But the pair claim the bus company Brylaine is putting profit above passenger safety as when they raised their concerns with one driver they were told “if they choose to get on the bus and stand up it’s their lookout if they fall.”
Carol and Daisy spoke to The Voice after getting off the crammed bus outside our offices in Winsover Road after catching the service from their home in The Parkway last Tuesday morning.
They said the 9am buses on Tuesdays, Friday and Saturdays are particularly busy, especially since the bus operator Brylaine axed the 7.30am and 8.30am services.
Carol said: “It’s really dangerous. I really worry that someone is going to fall over.
“This week the bus picked seven or eight of us in the Parkway and it meant people were standing, and a lot of them have these shopping trolleys, so the bus is like a tin of sardines.
“A lot of these people are probably in their 70s or 80s and some of them are not all that steady on their feet.
“One lady who was in her 90s wasn’t able to even get on the bus one day because it was so jam packed. That meant she was going to have to wait an hour and a half for the next one.
“I fear that if someone fell it could be really serious. They could easily break a bone.
“I really think Brylaine should reconsider getting rid of the other buses.
“I would like to see more buses running our side of town – for a lot of these people it is their only means of getting into town, but they are risking life and limb by travelling on the bus.”
Daisy, who took photographs on her mobile phone of the overcrowded bus, added: “It’s just not safe and the driver’s attitude was that he didn’t care if someone fell over.”
A spokesman for Brylaine said that although the service is busy, buses are not overloaded and blamed an increase in traffic congestion and statutory requirements to be punctual on cuts in the service.
Malcolm Wheatley, operations director, said: “I have checked our ticket machine data for the last two market days, and figures would suggest that, although very busy, the services mentioned are not overloaded.
“However from conversations with drivers, I can see that a lot of room is being taken by shopping trolleys etc.
“As the service is obviously almost wholly patronised by shoppers, their journeys are not particularly time specific, it is hoped that
some passengers on these days will perhaps drift to later services.
“The only alternative, which is practised by other companies, but we really do not want to contemplate, is to limit the number of trolleys and buggies on one bus.”
