The wheels on the bus have stopped

An insight that you can maybe only come to after spending so much time within the belly of beast, yet so few politicians would acknowledge this. She demonstrates a belief that her own reputation has caused issues that are already emotionally charged to become unbearably partisan to a toxic degree. We can’t yet say what the final legacy of Nicola Sturgeon will be, not when we have still yet to find a replacement for her in the weeks following her resignation. One day there may be be another referendum vote –— two years from now, or a whole generation away. The future of Scotland is not certain. The certainty lies only in that when that story is written, the words and actions of Nicola Sturgeon and her fight for Scottish independence will be looked backed on as key in whatever result that comes to pass.

Charlie Gershinson, News Editor, examines the state of bus services in Devon and the wider UK

FOR many who, particularly those living in rural areas without access to a car, easy and cheap bus travel is a key indicator of their quality of life: their ability to get to work, to get to the shops and to access their community. However, a mix of the lingering aftermath of the Coronavirus pandemic and funding cuts has meant that this crucial lifeline has been cut off for many in Devon and nationwide.

Travel by bus has been in decline for some years but the stay-at-home order from March 2020 led to plummeting demand for bus services, which has still not fully recovered. According to the latest figures from everywhere in the UK, apart from London, buses are used 20 per cent less than before the pandemic. Buses are still a necessary factor of everyday life for many people, with under half of all public transport journeys being made by bus. Journeys are made disproportionately by those from older and lower-income households.

There have been significant cuts to bus services around the country, such as in Stoke-on-Trent where services have been cut in half since 2013-2014 and cut by 37 per cent over the past five years. A similar story is heard in Bristol where pensioners complain of being “cut off” from their community. According to Bristol Live, many bus passengers — including older passengers — have to resort to bus hopping and taking massive detours in their journey to get around their neighbourhood due to the cancellation of numerous bus routes. be living on a desert island, it really is bad, we are cut off and can’t make any arrangements. We get all these promises but no-one follows through.”

Doreen Reay, who has been forced to take inconvenience from limited bus services into her daily life, has said:

“We are desperate, we really are and there are people less able to walk to the doctor than I am. We may as well

Campaigners have led the charge in protesting against nationwide declines in bus accessibility, most prominently through the Campaign for Better Transport. Their spokesperson, Silviya Barrett, has condemned both the outright cancellation of bus services and the limits put on other existing bus routes, saying: “Even if a bus route is not completely withdrawn, just making it so infrequent that it is impractical has the same impact.” She also noted that an increase in bus use will aid in the government’s aim to achieve net zero carbon emissions. Similar campaign groups have also been founded, such as the Better Buses for Bristol Campaign.

The government has been responding to calls to intervene in the privately-dominated bus transport industry. Largely targeted at the costof-living crisis, the Department for

Transport’s new fares initiative through the Government’s Help for Households campaign has capped the cost of a single journey to just £2. This program, which has been extended until the end of March, will allow passengers in Devon to save up to 74 per cent on their bus tickets depending on which bus route they take.

New Stagecoach South West Managing Director Peter Knight has said:

“Our absolute focus remains in delivering a service our passengers can rely upon. We are pleased to be involved in this new initiative launched by the Department for Transport, which will help so many people at a time where money needs to stretch further and at the same time aims to reduce car use and encourage people onto more sustainable public transport.” However, these interventions by the government, while welcome, do little to help those who are affected by the cancellation and limitations of bus routes in Devon and across the country.