Letters: December 9, 2016

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Bus service concerns

IN REPLY to the letter that states that Wroughton has won the bus fight with Stagecoach. They have only partly won.

Residents in North Wroughton have almost lost a bus service, only the 49 through to Swindon on an hourly service.

When we OAPs (I am 84) can use our bus pass after 9.30am on the 49, I very much doubt if we had room to get the bus.

Just where is the logic (if any) of cutting a direct and well used service to Swindon from Wroughton in preference to Wichelstowe, which is only partly built?

There’s been a direct and well-used bus service to Swindon since the pre-war days (the old firm/Bristol buses, etc).

How can we now get to local shops and doctors surgeries and also Swindon?

We have not all got cars, and many could not walk to the distant bus stops in Perrys Lane etc, whether it is fine weather or not (with no bus shelter).

Is it because it will be more profitable to run through open country to Wichelstowe (which again, is only partially built) or through a built-up area with bus stops and shelters?

I am sure I am voicing a strong protest on behalf of North Wroughton residents as we have lost a direct service regularly used service to Swindon.

They want us to use public transport instead of cars, but take the service away.

I have seen two Stagecoach buses following each other coming out of Wichelstowe empty. Just where is the sense?

R NORTON

Wroughton

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Hopes over decision

IN A recent article in the Swindon Advertiser, Mr Peter Oliver, the Commercial Director of Thamesdown Transport announced that on the January 8, 2017 a number of routes in Swindon are going to change.

Among the changes are service 1 and 1a which are going through to the Great Western Hospital.

As a regular user of this service I only hope that Mr Oliver has got it right and that we won’t be waiting for delayed buses in Ramleaze, as the hospital frequently becomes congested and when this occurs buses will be inevitably late.

Standing at the Orkney Close bus stop inbound which has no waiting bus shelter when it is cold and wet isn’t a very pleasant experience.

It is possible to get a bus from East Swindon to the Orbital Centre and likewise from South Swindon but not from West Swindon.

Perhaps Mr Oliver would like to consider operating service 19 through to the Orbital Centre instead of terminating at Sparcells which is a rather underused destination.

M BRADFORD

Shaw, Swindon

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Thank you for helping

CAN I express my thanks to Coun Dave Wood (Lib Dem, Eastcott Ward) for his help in resolving a problem in Swindon Road, Old Town.

The communal garden had been neglected for many, many months.

I contacted Mr Wood a few weeks ago, he acted on my behalf promptly and it is now being maintained on a regular basis, as recently as Friday last week by three Swindon Borough Council workers, who carried out a fine job.

MARK WEBB

Swindon Road, Swindon

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We want a clean area

AFTER seeing the photo of Swindon’s slum, Broadgreen, I’m glad the whole borough can see what the council has let this area become.

I have rung the council many times and as soon as you say Broadgreen it falls on deaf ears.

We have rubbish everywhere, some dumped by landlords from their overcrowded houses and garages, some dumped by non-Broadgreen people.

I’ve yelled at a trailer tipping several times. The council does nothing. I’ve been told by their staff it’s residents, I said most in my street are elderly or Muslim. I told them that the elderly don’t throw beer cans around and the Muslim community don’t drink., only to be told you don’t know what the Islamic world do behind closed doors, which I find an insult to my Islamic friends.

I want our area clean and so do all the residents. We had a good street cleaner but at Broadgreen residents’ meeting the council woman said he did too good a job, so they moved him.

PAUL IZQUIERDO

Rosebery Street, Swindon

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Stop selfish actions

I’VE BEEN a resident of Swindon for some 46 years and I’ve never seen the overall appearance of the town look so bad.

Originally, I come from Broad Hinton and I didn’t foresee the Ploughing Championships would move from the neighbouring countryside into Swindon itself but it has.

When you travel about you see a lot of grass areas and verges totally destroyed by tyre marks from illegally parked vans and cars.

Some crevices on the roadside are so deep and rutted the person can no longer park there. Instead, they just move along the verge and start to destroy another area. It’s like a plague of locusts on the march.

Rather than issue medals the council and police ought to issue penalty fines instead.

There is absolutely no deterrent, so these people who participate in this form of vandalism just simply carry on.

Clearly they are oblivious and ignorant to the carnage they are causing. They do not have any pride or consideration to other residents in the area where they live. It’s a selfish act out of sheer laziness and has to stop.

The council keep telling us they are short of money – so start issuing fines.

Many years ago they insisted you had to have a dropped kerb in order to park your car. This hasn’t changed.

If they did issue fines, then the Ploughing Championships would move out of Swindon and back to the countryside. Then the overall appearance would improve, which would benefit everyone, residents and visitors alike.

ALAN WILSON

Shapwick Close

Nythe, Swindon

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Use fog lights properly

ON MY normal commute to work I had not even got out of Haydon Wick when I encountered the first of many drivers who seemed to think they must have their fog lights on, both front and back.

But when you’re in a queue waiting for the traffic lights or turning into a junction or just generally driving about town all you are doing with your fog lights is blinding the driver behind you.

On the A419 I can see normal red rear lights 700 to 800 metres away, again no need for blinding fog lights. But people come past me doing 80mph plus with their fog lights on,

Yes, there is fog about in the fields but not enough on the road to warrant blinding people.

If there was a dense enough fog to warrant fog lights being turned on then the traffic would be crawling along slow enough to stop in a emergency.

If you don’t need the fog lights, turn them off and stop blinding drivers behind you.

JOHN L CROOK

Haydon Wick, Swindon

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Going round in circles

AS CHRISTMAS approaches there is a rumour from the Westminster village that politicians past and present have decided to take over a fun fair for charity. All cash to be given to the Tony And Cherie Blair Charity For The Homeless Foundation.

The following names have been mentioned as the most suited by personal experience to run the various fun fair attractions:

Tony Blair, Alastair Campbell, Peter Mandelson and Keith Vaz to run the dodgems, the twister and the pirate ship. Gordon Brown, Ed Balls and Gideon Osborne to take charge of the one-armed bandits’ arcade, the coconut shy and the sideshows.

David Cameron, Mark Carney and John Major to run the ghost train. Personally taking part with torches under their chins, or clowns masks, optional. The House of Horrors and the Dante’s Inferno.

Jeremy Corbyn and his cabinet to run the hall of mirrors and supply their own smoke. They can also run The Wall of Death and the Kamikaze.

Nigel Farage, Paul Nuttal, Michael Gove and Boris Johnson to run the helter skelter, the Cliff Hanger and the Swing Around.

Theresa May, assisted by the House of Lords and the Supreme Court, to run the Caterpillar, The Reverse Bungee and the Topple Tower.

Tim Farron and Nick Clegg and the remaining Liberal MPs to run the Freefall and Big Dipper as well as the Pendulum.

Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond can run the goldfish for prizes stall, the mini dodgems and the ice cream tricycle as both are experienced trick cyclists.

Jean-Claude Junker, as a specially invited guest, to run the Red Baron, the Octopus and the Wipe-out.

Finally the ferris wheel, the carousel merry go round and the waltzer is set to offer free admission to any member of the British electorate, as the aforementioned political elite have been sending us all around in circles since the 1970s.

BILL WILLIAMS

Merlin Way Covingham, Swindon

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Grateful for kindness

I WISH to thank a young man who helped me when I hurt my leg in the town centre on Saturday, December 3. He had a little boy named Henry, aged four, and they caught the No 11 bus.

Without his help I would not have got home. I will never forget his kindness.

M JONES

Lower Stratton, Swindon