Commuter bus service is rescued
Thursday, 26th October 2000.
A VITAL bus service for commuters has been saved by the prompt actions of the county council.
The daily Haverhill to London bus link stopped operating, without notice, on Monday, October 16, after receivers moved in at the Stansted-based operator Associated Coachways (1999) Ltd.
Suffolk County Council's public transport unit was spurred into action to reinstate the service.
Geoff Butterwick, the council's public transport manager, said: "We have around 30 people who go to work in London every day.
"Haverhill is not on the main railway network and there is no other means of getting from Haverhill to London. We had to do something, and fast."
Tenders were invited by fax and a contract awarded to Haverhill-based Burton's Coaches and the X38 service was back in business by Monday this week.
Mr Butterwick added: "It was hard. It was something that came up outside our work programme and everybody had to drop everything for a while.
"Usually we have weeks to assess such issues but in this case there was no time."
Paul Cooper, managing director of Burton's Coaches, in Duddery Hill, agreed everything had happened in record time.
"It would normally take us significantly longer. We have to give the traffic commissioner 42 days' notice of our intention to operate. But even that was waived in this case," he said.
"We relocated our resources and were able to have the service operating by Monday morning. The fact that it is half-term has also helped."
The X38 service leaves Haverhill Bus Station at 6.25am Monday to Friday, stopping at various points in London, including the West End, Victoria, and Buckingham Palace Road, from where the return journey starts at 5pm.
Burton's Coaches, which has received a council subsidy for the new route, will be expanding the schedule to include a Saturday service for shoppers to London, Romford, Ilford and Stratford, starting on November 4.
For details of the routes, stops and fares call (01440) 702257.
The daily Haverhill to London bus link stopped operating, without notice, on Monday, October 16, after receivers moved in at the Stansted-based operator Associated Coachways (1999) Ltd.
Suffolk County Council's public transport unit was spurred into action to reinstate the service.
Geoff Butterwick, the council's public transport manager, said: "We have around 30 people who go to work in London every day.
"Haverhill is not on the main railway network and there is no other means of getting from Haverhill to London. We had to do something, and fast."
Tenders were invited by fax and a contract awarded to Haverhill-based Burton's Coaches and the X38 service was back in business by Monday this week.
Mr Butterwick added: "It was hard. It was something that came up outside our work programme and everybody had to drop everything for a while.
"Usually we have weeks to assess such issues but in this case there was no time."
Paul Cooper, managing director of Burton's Coaches, in Duddery Hill, agreed everything had happened in record time.
"It would normally take us significantly longer. We have to give the traffic commissioner 42 days' notice of our intention to operate. But even that was waived in this case," he said.
"We relocated our resources and were able to have the service operating by Monday morning. The fact that it is half-term has also helped."
The X38 service leaves Haverhill Bus Station at 6.25am Monday to Friday, stopping at various points in London, including the West End, Victoria, and Buckingham Palace Road, from where the return journey starts at 5pm.
Burton's Coaches, which has received a council subsidy for the new route, will be expanding the schedule to include a Saturday service for shoppers to London, Romford, Ilford and Stratford, starting on November 4.
For details of the routes, stops and fares call (01440) 702257.
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