I AM a regular passenger on the Number 6 (Purple Line) in York. I use the bus to travel from home to work almost every day.
I work at the hospital, which is on the Purple Line route. There was a distinct lack of buses over the festive period. There was a reduced Saturday service on some days, and none at all on others. This was a problem for colleagues commuting at the end of shifts.
I waited on January 4 at my local stop (Glen Road) for the bus, which should come at approximately 7.15am. It finally arrived at 7.32am. The driver also waited at Rougier Street in the city centre for a number of minutes. This made me late for work.
This is not an isolated incident. I am more shocked when the bus does arrive on time. The buses have regularly been late on a morning, and sometimes do not turn up at all.
A lot of the bus drivers do not come from York, and don’t seem to know the routes. Some even argue about the fare. I pay £1.90 from Glen Road to Clarence Street, or the hospital and drivers often try to charge £2.20.
This is an appalling service.
Emma Allison, Hawthorn Grove, Heworth, York.
•I READ with interest Mr Haughton’s letter of December 31 about the Christmas bus service.
I used to work at a major tourist attraction and the only days of the year we closed were Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day – three days out of the year.
We were open all other bank holidays, even the extra ones if Christmas fell on a weekend, and still some people seemed to begrudge us those three days off.
When the buses ran a Sunday service on bank holidays, I had to get a taxi to work if I couldn’t get a lift, but that’s just the way it went.
We have Park&Ride sites on all sides of York and as I understand it, these were all operational.
I have had my gripes about First buses in the past, but on this occasion I think the criticism is most unfair. Surely bus drivers are entitled to three days off a year to spend with their families?
P Witlea, Grey Place, Bishopthorpe, York.
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