What’s all the bus about?

For 11 days from 27 January, Coventry buses were diverted from Earlsdon Avenue North due to road resurfacing, affecting the Travel Coventry 1, 12 and 12W services.

The National Express number 12 diverted via Earlsdon Street and Beechwood Avenue in both directions, whilst the number 1 service diverted at Albany Road and Spon End. No further stops were added to the route, meaning that students relying on the number 12 at Earlsdon Avenue North, Hearsall Common and Tile Hill Lane, and the number 1 bus at Earlsdon Avenue North and Queensland Avenue, had to find alternative bus stops or even other means of transport.

“I believe that more awareness should have been made of the diversions prior to the closure, commented Students’ Union Welfare Officer Leo Boe. “Students could have been notified out
of courtesy, and it would have been good had additional stops been provided.”

Third-year Politics and International Studies student Alisa Tomiuc was especially affected by the diversions and had to walk 10 to 15 minutes either way along the bus route to her nearest stop. “Absolutely nothing was done to help students. Why anyone would set up road works in the middle of term that only affect two bus routes, one of which is the primary (and, in many cases, only) mode of transport for Warwick students without any additional buses is just careless”. Tomiuc also commented that, as paying customers, students should be compensated.

According to second-year Accounting and Finance student Rebekah Ingham, the times of buses were also different to that timetabled: “The unpredictability of the buses meant setting off much earlier to be guaranteed a bus in time for lectures. When coupled with having to set
off early due to uncertain bus times, the overcrowding on the buses made a 30-minute bus journey into an hour for many people”.

“There has also been inconsistency with where the buses stopped, the information on the bus leaflets was very vague and notices about the diversions only appeared on my stops a few days before the change”, she said.

The diversions are not the only change to buses to affect students, with bus fares rising again this year to £3.40 for a daysaver and £1.60 for a single, despite advertising ‘bus fares frozen’ last winter. The new diversions have angered students already dissatisfied with
the value and service of the buses.

This dissatisfaction sparked off the campaign ‘Taken for a Ride’ in November last year. Headed by Students’ Union President Daniel Stevens, the campaign has been demanding more affordable buses, better value for money and a higher frequency of services.

Despite the resurfacing works being temporary, Tomiuc added “if they need to do resurfacing work on the student bus route, they shouldn’t be doing it in the middle of term”.