PM should focus on public transport

Liz Truss has attained the position of PM, with effectively a quarter of a percent of the vote of the entire country behind her.

One has to hope that she will be looking out for the interests of all of us and not just the members of her party.

To that extent, she should be paying attention to the things that really matter to the ordinary people in the street, especially the least well off.

Public transport plays an increasingly vital part in the lives of those that rely on it and also in meeting our net zero targets as more people switch to the bus.

Its role for rural areas is increasingly important, particularly for those in our villages that lack access to a car, especially as winter draws in and cycling and walking become less desirable or indeed doable.

Therefore, October 1 may be a bleak day, for that is when the government withdraws the subsidy provided to cover bus company lost revenue due to Covid.

With many worrying themselves sick about their heating and food bills, many of our communities are planning much needed warm rooms and hot food centres to help out, and public transport will have a key role to make these resources accessible.

The government need to delay their subsidy withdrawal until at least the other side of winter.

Failing to do so will condemn many of our most vulnerable residents to even greater misery and frustrate all those doing everything they can to help.

I hope our Wiltshire MPs are listening and will pass this important message on to their new leader.

Dr Brian Mathew

Liberal Democrat Wiltshire Cllr for Box & Colerne and North Wiltshire Parliamentary Spokesperson

Thousands of bus routes lost

Dear Sir/Madam,

Over the past 10 years, over 5,000 bus routes have been lost in the U.K. A good example is First pulling the plug on so many routes around the West of England.

In the Melksham area, we have been lucky with Faresaver stepping in and making a success of routes that First couldn’t.

The government have recently provided emergency funding to support services over the pandemic, however this funding expires in October.

Unless the government extends the funding many more routes will be lost. Which is bad news for the thousands of passengers that reply on buses to get to work, school and leisure.

Councillor Terry Chivers

Eden Grove,

Whitley,

Melksham