Swindon's Bus Company stops using bus station after 7pm

People using Swindon bus station have reported feeling unsafe at night - particularly women who find themselves walking alone in the dark - and now Swindon's Bus Company says it isn't dropping off or collecting passengers after 7pm to avoid putting them at potential risk.

One woman posted her concerns on social media after a man with a bike allegedly approached her while she was waiting for the bus and started asking her if she would “go back to his house”, but when she rejected the offer, he said he would give her money in return.

She described his behaviour as “pestering” and said he eventually left her alone after he shouted “are you serious?”.

This report has galvanised others to share their experiences and fears about the bus station and Swindon's Bus Company has confirmed that following reports of passengers feeling "uncomfortable", their services were diverted at the end of July to stop elsewhere after 7pm.

One comment said: “A scary place the bus station, even for a male on his own.”

Another read: “He’s been there before I’m sure, maybe not the same guy but the same thing happened to a friend of mine and he was on a bike.”

“There’s always something happening at the bus station, it’s really an intimidating place now," said another person. "Not sure if security guards put in place might help.

While one commenter said: “I always worry about women at that bus station once darkness falls, it’s so secluded."

“The place is threatening and dangerous to the people of Swindon at the best of times and after sundown, it’s worse," added another local.

Andrew Sherrington, Swindon’s Bus Company general manager, said: “We have taken the decision not to serve Swindon Bus Station after 7pm, following feedback from our customers that they feel uncomfortable alighting our buses there during the evening. However, services continue to stop there during the day. 

“The area is still served by our buses after 7pm - with alternative stopping arrangements outside of the bus station. This is only a temporary measure, until the new Fleming Way project is completed next summer. 

“Until then, we would like to thank our customers for their understanding.”

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, July 31, Wiltshire Police hosted a community engagement event allowing locals to report their concerns face-to-face following a series of incidents in the area, including a man standing on a woman’s head until she lost consciousness in June.

PC Thapa, left, and PC Jefferies, right, at the pop-up event at Swindon bus station (Image: Dave Cox)

Two main concerns passers-by raised were street drinking and loitering and the message that people generally “do not feel safe” at the bus station was repeated.

Area Inspector David Tippetts said: “On the whole that area is safe but if you don’t feel safe due to the behaviour of someone else or someone approaches you, then call us and we’ll dispatch units to deal with it, be that on 999 or 101.

“If a female is being approached by someone then that is a 999 call.

“It’s not just the bus station, it’s the area behind it too. We are able to track down CCTV, so we urge people to call us. That way we know what the issue is, the times and dates, and it’s far easier to organise our staff and patrols.

“It’s absolutely the sort of thing we want to know about because we want people to feel safe wherever they are in Swindon and we take reports very seriously.

“The bus station is a priority area for us due to the reports of anti-social behaviour that we’re getting, so we’re putting in extra patrols as and when we’re able to and working with partners to see what we can do when we have repeat offenders."