|
Greens submit hospital bus petition 17 December 2005 - Over 800 people have signed a Green Party petition calling on the First bus company to reinstate the 25 bus service to the Norfolk and Norwich hospital. On 2 October, First introduced a number of changes to local bus routes, one of which means that the 25 service (which runs from the city centre and along Unthank Road and South Park Avenue to UEA) no longer continues beyond UEA to the hospital. On Tuesday at 11:30am, Green Party Councillors Chris Hull and Adrian Ramsay will be submitting the petition to First at a meeting they have arranged with Managing Director Keith Andrews. Adrian Ramsay, Green Party City Councillor for Nelson ward, said: "We started up this petition after being contacted by hospital staff, patients and visitors from the Unthank Road area who were struggling to get to the hospital by public transport after these changes were introduced. There are other bus services that go to the hospital, such as the 24 and 22. However, it is vital that there are good public transport links to the hospital from all parts of the city and we are calling on First to reinstate the popular 25 route to the hospital." 
Photo: Green campaigner Janet Bearman and Councillor Chris Hull at a number 25 bus stop on Unthank Road. Chris Hull, Green Party County Councillor for Town Close ward, added: "I have had numerous conversations with residents on this issue and the vast majority have been very keen to sign the petition. It is important that we have reliable and efficient public transport on all key routes across the city – but routes to the hospital are surely the most crucial as many of the people needing to get there rely on the buses. I hope these strong arguments, and the petition of approaching 1000 signatures, will convince First to reinstate the 25 service to the hospital." The Green Party councillors will continue to collect signatures for the petition until just before their meeting with First. Residents can still sign the petition online 9am on Tuesday morning. The Green Party expects the final petition to contain between 900 and 1000 signatures. In October, Norwich City Council adopted a policy (proposed by the Green Party) of working towards a Quality Bus Contract for Norwich, to give the councils power over bus routes and fares. This was prompted after the October changes were brought in without any consultation with residents or ward councillors. The Green Party petition calls on the councils to introduce a Quality Bus Contract and use it to reverse the change to the 25 service if First fails to do so. With the City Council already supporting a Quality Bus Contract, County Council support is now needed before it can be introduced. |