RELBUS

RELBUS campaigns for better rural bus services. Our main aim is to represent the passenger’s voice.  We aim to represent the passenger perspective at all opportunities to politicians, to government and to local government officials and to bus operators.

We are now seeking wider views on the issues raised in our draft discussion paper to gauge bus users’ perspectives on our emerging strategy and priorities.

V1.1 Focus on Bus Passengers

Please mail your views by email before the 20^th Oct 2012 to info@relbus.org.uk or send them to Philip Immirzi, RELBUS c/o BeGreen, 16 Westport, Dunbar, EH42 1BU.

If you want your response to remain confidential, mark it clearly so.

A substantial part of the last meeting was taken up by discussions regarding the new Local Bus Forum and the way that RELBUS could influence it. Cllr Michael Veitch (Transport Convenor) explained that he had support from operators and officers and optimistic that it was a positive first step in the right direction.

Cllr Veitch also gave an update on progress with the Local Transport Strategy, which should build on the conclusions and recommendations following the Bus Conference earlier in the year, before the Council elections. RELBUS welcomed that the Council’s 5 year plan already cited the draft strategy, though already some of the immediate actions are disconnected from the longer term aims, which also cropped up in discussions later regarding new housing development at Blindwells.

Continue reading Minutes of RELBUS meeting September 2012

The doughnut theory of the universe is an informal description of the shape of the universe as a three-dimensional torus. Doughnut theory also applies to the idea that some policies have a big hole in the middle.

Even a casual observer of the impact of bus deregulation would reckon on bus policy of the last few decades having a cavernous strategic hole. Riders in East Lothian might be forgiven for thinking that there wasn’t a bus transport policy rather a free-for-all. But is this all about to change?

We have received confirmation that East Lothian Council is about to convene a Local Bus Group. After lobbying from RELBUS – who were concerned there wasn’t a forum for the discussion of bus strategy and policy – ELC Councillor Michael Veitch consulted with various interested parties.

Continue reading Doughnut theory and the buses