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Letters, Thursday, May 29, 2008
Readers write to the Times & Citizen and Bedford Today.
Better bus service would be delivered by Stagecoach
SIR – I am in complete agreement with Dave McMillan (T&C, May 22) about the level of bus services and have also waited for extended periods for Stagecoach No. 6 buses both to and from Brickhill.
However, his problem was not the frequency of buses, but routing. After 5.45pm, the No. 6 does not serve Union Street but travels via Bedford Railway Station and Shakespeare Road, omitting Greyfriars, Union Street and Clapham Road; similarly, before 7.45am, buses leaving Brickhill
follow this route in reverse.
Stagecoach fails dismally to communicate this information to the public. It seems you either need to be psychic or take the bus from
Greyfriars and wonder where the heck its going, to glean this
information.
The maps provided by Stagecoach (if you can get one) are pathetic and give no indication of routes within the town. The timetable for the No. 6 lists only eight stops, and there are none mentioned between the town centre and Brickhill Drive. Union Street, where Dave McMillan was waiting, doesn't get a look in.
It beggars belief that this bus continues up Shakespeare Road when it leaves the station instead of turning right onto Bromham Road and then left into Union Street, thus covering all of its normal route except one stop at the top of Greyfriars. Given the traffic in Shakespeare Road in rush hour, in both directions, this could even be quicker, both in the morning and evening, than the current route.
Transport for London offers detailed maps showing every twist and turn of their hundreds of routes, and also timetables every major bus stop.
Stagecoach cannot manage to do this for its handful of routes within Bedford.
JC Lennon
Fulmar Road, Bedford
****
I'd rather have cigarette ends than rubbish heap
SIR – I write in support of the person who wrote reference the travellers' site near Longholme "ay in Bedford, (T&C, May 22).
He is correct in his statement about piles of rubbish being left to be disposed of at our expense; I also note in the same edition of your newspaper there are piles of rubbish accumulating in Millbrook Road, to the discomfort of the residents there.
Recently, our environmental Czar, Mr Ferguson, of the council, proudly boasted of catching seven people disposing of cigarette ends in an inappropriate manner. Does this mean that he is only interested in cigarette ends?
If I lived in either location mentioned, I would rather live with a few cigarette butts on the ground than these piles of rubbish. Would it be possible for him to extend his brief to people that may not be such easy targets? Perhaps he would like to pursue people that almost
certainly do not contribute towards his not inconsiderable salary.
Frank Fernandez
by email
****
Late, unreliable and pain for bus drivers
SIR – As a bus driver, I should be sticking up for other bus drivers. I will, but Mr Dave McMillan has too many good points (T&C, May 22).
Mr McMillan is correct to suggest that the No. 6 service to Brickhill is regularly late, and that excess traffic may be a reason for those delays.
As a driver, I know that traffic is the main cause, mainly during Harpur Trust schools' term time , with problems mainly through the town centre and St Paul's Square.
Most other across-town services now terminate at the bus station after reviews by Stagecoach and the borough council.
The No. 6 service, however, was deemed to be a service that needed to carry on the way it was – late, unreliable, and a pain for drivers, mostly because people complain about lateness and unreliability, and they are right to do that.
Please keep complaining. May I ask, if you have a good driver, to mention him or her also.
Please complain about your Stagecoach journey to Stagecoachbus.com or call 01604 676060.
Nic
by email
****
Traffic congestion is the main cause of problem
SIR – While I sympathise with Dave McMillan, 'Disgust at our so-called bus service' (T&C, May 22) I do not accept that it is entirely the fault of the bus company Stagecoach.
With the ever increasing levels of traffic in the town, it is congestion which is the main cause for buses to bunch together to disrupt the scheduled 12-minute interval service on Route 6 to Brickhill. In an attempt to reduce the problems of poor timekeeping,
I understand that it is Stagecoach's intention from this autumn to split this service into two (Brickhill to/from town centre, and Shortstown to/from town centre). It was for this reason that the rest of the town's 'cross-town' bus services were split last year into separate services to and from the bus station.
Unfortunately congestion is not likely to go away, due to all the new developments planned for the Bedford area.
Even with the completion of the Western Bypass and A6-A428 link and other road improvements, unless people consider a modal shift for some journeys to public transport, cycling and walking, things will not improve.
Peter Blakeman
Dove Road, Bedford
****
Eco-towns are part of social engineering
SIR – I am in agreement with Mr Hannan's letter (T&C, May 22) about eco new towns, most of which are to be sited in the south of England with a huge element of social housing.
This housing policy is part of the Labour Party's political and social engineering programme.
The intention is to secure a Labour-voting stronghold in the south of the country. The fact that there are streets of houses for sale in Northern and Midland cities, like Nottingham, is ignored.
Nobody wants to live there, of course, because of the crime. Any responsible Government would set about restoring law and order to the streets and making these towns desirable places in which to live. The Labour Party is only concerned with remaining in power.
With Hazel Blears in charge of housing decisions, overriding
whatever planning authorities, Government appeal inspectors and even public inquiries decide, democracy has no chance.
Mrs T Wood
Green End Road, Great Barford
****
A wise move in helping the British cause
SIR – How many other MEPs besides Tom Wise claim the set allowances of the cost of a first-class flight plus an accommodation allowance of 226 per day for every day that they attend Brussels, yet in turn use
economy airline and budget hotels instead?
When Tom Wise made his jovial remarks to an undercover journalist – "he did not know what an MEP was" – it was because with all his good attendance record and defence of being British he sees new laws and directives being rubberstamped and imposed on us – 78 per cent so far.
Mr Wise does, I understand, put his surplus gains to good use in very much helping the British cause.
As for those yet unproven allegations made against him, it may be of interest to note that only this week the leader of UKIP, Nigel Farage, received an apology from TheSunday Times. Who knows, Tom Wise might get an apology yet.
Jason Barker
by e-mail
****
MP acts in best interests of constituents
SIR – Your correspondent KS Northwood (T&C, May 22) questions whose interests local MP Alistair Burt has at heart.
If Mr Northwood cares to look at page 3 of last week's Times & Citizen, he will read of Mr Burt acting on behalf of his constituents with regard to Government plans for Yarl's Wood. I suspect that local humanists will have taken concerns to Mr Burt and had them dealt with in the same courteous, thoughtful and measured way as I have found Mr Burt to respond.
Alistair Burt and I disagree over some things but I have no doubt that he sincerely does his best for all his constituents and I feel pleased to have him as my MP.
Andrew Rome
Pinchmill Way, Sharnbrook
****
I had no part in decision on electoral boundaries
SIR – With regard to Councillor Tom Wootton's letter last week blaming me for the decision to keep the existing borough ward boundaries for next year's unitary elections, members of all political parties are unhappy with this situation.
Councillor Wootton is a member of the Implementation Executive, which is the committee responsible for preparing Bedford Borough to be the new unitary council.
He was present at the meeting on April 14 when Councillor Attenborough raised the issue and suggested that the 2009 election should be based on county boundaries. Bedford Borough needed to have an electoral review first for this to happen.
The Chief Executive told the meeting he had done all in his power to arrange this but the Boundary Commission for England has decided there was no prospect for an electoral review to take place in time for the start of the new council.
Elected mayors have many powers concerning decision making in local authorities. One power they do not have concerns the boundaries of electoral wards for councillors.
I can sympathise with the point being made on the anomalies of the sizes of the electoral wards for the 2009 elections but it should be remembered that there is to be an electoral review carried out
immediately afterwards to be ready for the next elections for councillors in 2011.
As I had no power to take any decision on the electoral boundary, and it would have been wrong for me to have done so, I am pleased to be able to say that I had no part in the decision concerning this.
Frank Branston
Mayor
****
Exposing the gravy train that is the EU
SIR – Many years ago, when I was an apprentice, after making a series of mistakes I commented to my instructor that he must think I was useless. "Nobody's useless, laddie", he replied, "everybody has a purpose even if it's only to serve as a bad example."
It would appear that Tom Wise also serves as a bad example, or "a disgrace," as Ken Thomas would have it.
But does he? Sure he milks the system to the limit, but then he is only one of 70-odd MEPs from the UK, and 800-odd MEPs in the rest of Europe.
Each of these apparently is permitted the same perks as Tom, and whose to say that they don't also claim the maximum. Some might say they would be stupid not to, given that it's all legal under EU rules.
Tom's case at least exposes emphatically the gravy train that is the EU. At least we can be sure he brings back to the UK, and this region in particular, a tiny fraction of the billions that have gone in the reverse direction to no beneficial effect.
As for Tom being investigated for "bringing UKIP into disrepute", when is someone going to investigate the EU for bringing Europe into
disrepute?
Kevin Hutchinson
Duck End Lane,
Maulden
****
Council not contacted over 'slum area'
SIR – Your article last week, 'Our street is a slum', quoting Councillor Yasin, failed to mention that he had not contacted me as the
Environment Portfolio Holder about this problem and also didn't explain that the land was privately owned. Perhaps if he did this in the future it might be more helpful to him and his community.
The council cannot continue to spend its scarce resources on clearing up other people's land and will take action to require a landowner to clean up their own land or, failing this, will do it in default and seek to recover its costs.
Coun Ian Clifton
Bedford Borough Council
****
No more heroes any more?
SIR – I have noticed that near to Wembley Stadium there is a Brent Council building called Mahatma Gandhi house, named after the great Indian patriot who was murdered because of his beliefs in 1948.
There is a large population of British people of Indian origin in the area, so it would seem entirely reasonable and sensible that an Indian national figure is recognised in this way, particularly a man like Gandhi who desperately and bravely tried to avoid the senseless bloodshed between different religions.
In the Bedford area we have a longstanding and relatively large population of British people of Serbian origin and so, with this in mind, would it be possible for a suitable building to be named after a great Serbian patriot and war hero, who was also executed, by a kangaroo and illegitimate Yugoslavian Communist court for his beliefs in 1946?
I refer, of course, to the legendary Draza Mihajlovic, whose brave fighters, allied of course, with the British, saved many Allied airmen who had been shot down and who would have otherwise been killed or captured by the Nazis or their illegitimate puppet Ustasha regime.
So, perhaps Pilgrims House, the headquarters of the Bedfordshire Pilgrims Housing Association, could become Draza Mihajlovic House?
Additionally, on the anniversary of his death every year, perhaps the council flag could be flown at half mast as a sign of respect by the local authority?
Marica Tesla
Address supplied
****
Don't forget your regular customers
SIR – As a camra (Campaign For Real Ale) member, I agree with Mr Garth, (Opinions, May 22). Why is Wells and Young's beer so expensive in Ampthill, as the transport and delivery costs are nothing compared with Rochdale?
Is it because we have a Waitrose supermarket with a lovely white plastic Georgian tower, and lots of high class restaurants?
I think the brewery looks at Ampthill as an upper class yuppie town and prices its beer accordingly. Please Mister Wells, don't forget your regular customers who keep you in business, have supported you for many years, and have a real love for your beers.
Paul Roberts
by email
****
RSPCA funds
SIR – Collections in aid of Beds North RSPCA were held at both Tesco stores in Bedford; 1,834.35 was collected at Riverfield Drive from April 28 to May 4 and 699.65 at Cardington Road, from May 1 to 3.
There were no expenses.
Janet Day
Bedford auxiliary
****
Cancer charity funds
SIR – I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the street collection on May 10 in aid of Cancer Research UK, and also to those who collected. The magnificent sum of 1,527.35 was raised, from which no expenses were deducted.
Howard Lawrence, vice chair
Cancer Research UK,
Bedford group
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