I HAVE RECEIVED a number of emails from local residents concerned about the imminent loss of the 12A service. This is an evening bus from the bus station to Camp Hill. It only provides three buses, leaving the bus station at 7.30pm, 8.30pm and 10.45pm. Given that the No 12 service ends at 6.45pm, the […]

AMONG THE LIST of subsidised buses under threat shown in the Chronicle and Echo recently was the No. 12A. It will end on 8 May. This is a night bus from the town centre to Camp Hill. The last No. 12 bus leaves the bus station at 18.45. The 12A then provides four additional buses for […]

THERE ARE some rumours going round West Hunsbury about the No. 28 bus: A bus driver was reported as saying that the service was going to end in May Someone else was going to announce that the bus had been saved for certain, at least until 5th September. But neither statement is true! The simple […]

TALK ABOUT  adding insult to injury. The Conservative County Council have cut lollipop ladies and gentlemen; they have cut grants to many voluntary groups, they have cut 900 jobs, but the unkindest cut of all is probably one of the smallest. Companion travellers who accompany people who are entitled to a free bus pass have […]

THE TORY GROUP on the Borough Council have announced that they want to open up Abington Street to traffic once again. They are proposing opening up the “middle section” of Abington Street as key part of their manifesto for the May local elections. If elected they say they will carry out the work within four […]

YOU probably saw the pictures of the serious crash on the junction between Rowtree Road and Towcester Road in the December FOCUS. On the evening of Wednesday 16 March yet another serious crash at this junction involving at least 3 cars and the police. Each of these incidents costs a lot of money – in […]

WRITING in The Guardian, Jim Steer, director of Greengauge 21, a non-profit making organisation researching high-speed rail says: “HS2 is the most efficient way to tackle a fully foreseeable problem – transport capacity is running out”. “It is better to build from scratch rather than again attempt a disruptive line-of-route-upgrade”. Jill Hope agrees and says: […]

PEOPLE in Northampton are  always moaning about local buses. They frequently blame “The Council”. I’m only going to say this once…..the council no longer runs the bus service. When it’s bad it’s not the council’s fault. Mrs Thatcher privatised the council’s buses. They were sold off for much less than they were worth, creating several […]

THE CONSERVATIVE County Council has now passed its budget, removing most of the money it used to provide to subsidise bus routes. Although the new budget starts on 1 April, the arrangements with the bus companies are on 3 months’ notice, so nothing will happen immediately. Council officers will be asking bus companies whether they […]

THE COALITION Government has started its consultation on the HS2 line from London to Birmingham. This will be the first link in bringing high speed trains to Manchester, Leeds and eventually Scotland. Opponents argue that the £17bn scheme will be a waste of money and that updating the existing West Coast Main Line (WCML) would […]