Without any consultation, First Bus are rushing through plans to end Rode’s 267. We lose it on August 21st.
This after First has already announced they’re ending their 234 bus service to Rode on August 2nd. Again without any consultation.
Rode is a major Somerset village and a primary village in Mendip. Very many people who live in Rode need to travel by bus to Bath for work, study, medical treatment, rail connections as well as to shop or just to go out in an evening. It’s their only way of getting to Bath.
This village therefore must have a direct bus link with Bath.
That’s our message to First Bus … and it’ll be our message to Somerset County Council too.
Already our County Councillor, Linda Oliver, and our MP, David Warburton, have offered Rode their full support in this battle.
Last year after the village-wide protest, First Bus was forced to reinstate our 267, at the time First Bus said to us “Use it or Lose it” .. Well we did use it and yet we are to lose it. Not that First Bus knows just how much we used it, as their data collection on bus passengers in Rode is totally flawed. They have been only counting Rode as the last bus stop in the village on the way out to Bath. So alot of the tickets in Rode are marked from the neigbouring village Beckington (even though the bus stops are definitely in Rode Beckington is 1.5 miles away). We have given First Bus numerous incorrect tickets (some saying Frome when getting on at Rode heading to Bath). We collected incorrect tickets for about 3 or 4 months but that has now stopped. However, as I was talking to someone yesterday she produced an incorrect ticket from yesterday.
Also if you are travelling with a weekly or monthly bus pass or a school pass then your journey isn't recorded. It is only recorded once when you purchase the bus pass not every time you use the bus. Alot of people have these in Rode and don't always purchase them in Rode! First also don't count the passenger footfall off the bus at a stop.
Also we have conducted our own bus user survey last year of everyone getting on and off the bus for a two week period. Rode is the biggest village for people using the bus between Frome and Bath. So we need to fight this. We need to get even more support than last time. .And we need your help!
If Rode looses it bus to Bath, the nearest bus stop to Rode is over a mile away down some busy country roads with no footpaths or street lights and having to cross the extremely busy A36. Rode needs its bus service to Bath as walking to another village isn't an option especially for the young and old but for anyone.
There’s a petition to sign (we need as many signatures as possible) .. It’s already in the Rode Post Office and we’ll get it to all the Rode pubs as soon as possible. We will also put it online too. We will do a leaflet drop this week around Rode.
A protest is planned for July 4th at Rode Post Office, High Street at 1045. We need even more support than last year at the protest! Please come along and support our bus service as this could happen to a service near you soon! We will invite the media to this.
Please note we aren't contacting the media at this stage while we ramp up our campaign. Please don't contact them on our behalf. If you have any connection please let me know. Our 267 bus campaign team will contact the media in due course.
And if you haven't seen this video this shows how much Rode's people care about their bus service to Bath
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZzZjjaQHeU
Also if you are travelling with a weekly or monthly bus pass or a school pass then your journey isn't recorded. It is only recorded once when you purchase the bus pass not every time you use the bus. Alot of people have these in Rode and don't always purchase them in Rode! First also don't count the passenger footfall off the bus at a stop.
Also we have conducted our own bus user survey last year of everyone getting on and off the bus for a two week period. Rode is the biggest village for people using the bus between Frome and Bath. So we need to fight this. We need to get even more support than last time. .And we need your help!
If Rode looses it bus to Bath, the nearest bus stop to Rode is over a mile away down some busy country roads with no footpaths or street lights and having to cross the extremely busy A36. Rode needs its bus service to Bath as walking to another village isn't an option especially for the young and old but for anyone.
There’s a petition to sign (we need as many signatures as possible) .. It’s already in the Rode Post Office and we’ll get it to all the Rode pubs as soon as possible. We will also put it online too. We will do a leaflet drop this week around Rode.
A protest is planned for July 4th at Rode Post Office, High Street at 1045. We need even more support than last year at the protest! Please come along and support our bus service as this could happen to a service near you soon! We will invite the media to this.
Please note we aren't contacting the media at this stage while we ramp up our campaign. Please don't contact them on our behalf. If you have any connection please let me know. Our 267 bus campaign team will contact the media in due course.
And if you haven't seen this video this shows how much Rode's people care about their bus service to Bath
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZzZjjaQHeU
WE NEED YOU.
We will be writing letters to people with a position of influence e.g the Chair of First Group Can you suggest any key stakeholders or people we can write to?
If anyone has any influence or connections with First Bus, County Councils, or any key stakeholders or companies or people of influence etc would be good to hear from you. Do you know them personally so can write on our behalf? Please PM me if you can help.
Can you ‘Tweet and or post a message to a ‘Facebook group or your news feed to spread the word to make First and others aware of our campaign.
New hashtag for the campaign on Facebook and Twitter is #SaveTheRode267Bus
If you are on Twitter please follow us and send us a Tweet on @Savethe267bus
Faceboook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/228718297320512/
Save our 267
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