COUNCILLORS believe there is "mileage" in holding a meeting to try to thrash out a scheme in order to improve bus services from Chard to Axminster.
Cllr Andrew Turpin, of Tatworth and Forton Parish Council, has been left exasperated when travelling by public transport and has described it is "nailbiting" for anybody wanting to get to Axminster on time in order to catch a train.
He has come up with a multi-agency agreement proposal to break the Service 30 Taunton to Axminster route at Chard and continue with a smaller bus which would arrive in Axminster on the half-hour in order to link with buses and trains.
Councillors have supported him in his proposal and they now plan to host a joint meeting with Chard Town Council and the First Bus company, along with other interested parties such as the Action for Chard Town and the Tatworth and Forton Residents' Action Group and Somerset County Council transport representatives.
One of the issues raised in the recent Chard and district public transport consultation exercise was that people were not satisfied with the links with Axminster and that bus journeys involved long waits.
Cllr Turpin said: "It is nailbiting if you want to get to Axminster on time for a train because of the problems with the existing bus service.
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"I understand bus drivers can't help it if they get snarled-up in traffic, but there has been an embracing need in the public transport consultation for this to be looked at."
There was talk that the proposed meeting would be held in public to allow residents to attend and voice their opinions on the existing bus links.
But Cllr Jan Morse said: "I think there's a lot of mileage in this, but this meeting should be held in private because I don't think we should allow the bus company representatives to face a group of hostile residents."
One resident at last week's monthly meeting of Tatworth and Forton Parish Council said: "We're always being told to leave our cars at home, but you need your cars in this village."
Councillors agreed to earmark May 27 as the date for the proposed meeting with various agencies to explore the possibilities of improving bus services between Chard and Axminster.
l NO spokesman for the First Bus company was available for comment when The News went to press yesterday (Tuesday).
Posted by: Andrew, South London on 10:22am Wed 7 May 08
If this could be tied in with the reopening of Chard Junction, plus perhaps a shuttlebus service to outlying villages such as Thorncombe, Winsham and Forton, I think a lot of people would be encouraged to use public transport. I know, having been back to the area recently, my only choice was to use the car because I couldn't get anywhere or see anyone because of the lack of public transport.
If this could be tied in with the reopening of Chard Junction, plus perhaps a shuttlebus service to outlying villages such as Thorncombe, Winsham and Forton, I think a lot of people would be encouraged to use public transport. I know, having been back to the area recently, my only choice was to use the car because I couldn't get anywhere or see anyone because of the lack of public transport.
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