Roads to Nowhere?

Stagecoach in Swindon is rejigging routes, numbers and times in the regular merry-go-round of Swindon bus routes. Remember that Thamesdown passengers in East Swindon have seen their 1/1A in the last few years go to a split route number 2, rejoined to the 1/1A and restoring the link to West Swindon and recently again cut back to be it's own number 2 East Swindon-only service.

Merry-go-round indeed.

Stagecoach's changes which come in next week has already raised the hackles of Wroughton folk for rerouting the number 9 via Wharf Road (a dicey road if ever there was one), but it will service Waitrose and Wichelstowe, which is to be welcomed.

However, scant details on other routes and times seem to have gone unnoticed, but passengers in West Swindon are in for a shock as the 8 and 9 serving Freshbrook and Toothill are renumbered to the number 10, and continue from town to Kingsdown. 

It doesn't seem so bad, until you finally find a map and discover what's in store. The number 10 will run from town to Toothill, Freshbrook and then terminate at the Link Centre, returning to town via the same route.

You can see, on paper, at least, the sense of removing as many route miles as possible from the main roads, which at peak times, all over town, throw all operator's times into a cocked hat. But passengers will now find that whereas Freshbrook to town passengers will have a faster journey time to town (taken as Freshbrook Centre to the Bus Station, currently 27 minute weekday daytimes, changing to 22 minutes), their Toothill neighbours lose out. Journey times for Toothill passengers to the Link Centre will now more than double (taken as Toothill Village Tavern to Link Centre, currently 5 minutes, changing to 13 minutes). 

The frequency remains at every 10 minutes weekday daytimes, but all buses will now travel directly along Station Road to the Bus Station, abandoning Farnsby Street, Commercial Road, and Regent Circus. 

Is Stagecoach shooting itself in both feet? Once in Wroughton, and for good measure, once again in Freshbrook and Toothill?

Wheels off simple project in several Swindon Skating Moves

It appears West Swindon councillors are nursing grazed knees as the ability to deliver a small local project is beyond them.

The proposed-skate park in West Swindon at Rivermead is to be tendered again after the contractor increased the cost. Not surprising when councillors decide it should be built on a piece of open space prone to flooding.

Having discounted the views of children who will be a chunk of the users, you can't expect skaters of voting age to have much confidence in councillors to get the project done any time soon.

The 'no brainer' option would to be to have it at the Link Centre and have written the proposal into the contracts the council agreed with GLL, it's now operator.

Swindon Centric Says ; But then, if SBC councillors can't get GLL to answer their phone, what hope is there for contract writing or concrete-mixing in the Tory-blue wards of West Swindon?

Chum at the Deep-End In Invisible Shark Shock!

There might not be a shark at all, but that's not stopping some from throwing chum into the water.

Back in October (yes, remember that?), there was a bizzare, non-story piece in the Swindon Advertiser, about the possible closure of Swindon's leisure centres.

Mr. Brannan's quote, included many important points, but his finger came all of a fumble by untying the bow he was about to knot...

"I can reassure residents that there are no planned closures but basically, they should use it or lose it."

Swindon Centric Says ; Rather like when reassuring a child there isn't a monster under the bed, but just as you turn out the line throw in the zinger, "but, you never know, do you?"