Town councillors adamant Arriva should solve bus route dilemma

Published on 12th April 2007 in News

Snaith and Cowick Town Council is determined to see the 401 bus service extended throughout the town - despite knock backs from operator Arriva.

Town councillors had been pushing for the 401 service to Goole to be extended to Pontefract Road in Snaith, in order to serve residents of the nearby Ben Bailey Homes estate, but heard on Tuesday that such a proposal was not possible at the moment.

In a letter to the Town Council Howard Robinson, fares and service planning manager at Arriva, said: "We have been and looked at the situation, and find that roads in the St Lawrence Avenue and Bourn Mill areas are unsuitable for bus operation, due to there being no safe turn point within the estate.

"Whilst we do have some journeys that make a diversion along Pontefract Road, these are able to turn in Snaith School grounds as they are diverted in order to provide a service to or from the school. They do not operate during school holidays.

"Due to the school being private property and the fact that the school grounds may be closed off at any time, we are not able to make this turn at other times of the day."

But councillors are determined that the route should be extended. Speaking following Tuesday's meeting, Cllr Harry Park told this newspaper: "It is a case of going back to Arriva and looking at a way around this problem.

"People in some areas of Snaith can go into Goole on the bus to go shopping, but have trouble getting home again with lots of shopping bags.

"I'm sure this service would be used if it was extended - it is not used enough at the moment, in my opinion."