Recently I filled out a survey for the East Suffolk Travel Association (ESTA), which has been campaigning successfully to protect and improve public transport in East Suffolk since the 1960s.
The questions about train services were relatively easy. Yes, I would like improvements such as through trains to and from London, even if only once or twice a day. Of course I would like better station facilities. But I soon realised the priority for me has to be better bus services across the constituency.
In a rural area like Suffolk Coastal, where the population is widely dispersed, the train service only works for those who can get to and from a station easily. We need buses which allow people without access to a car to get to the railway station, to get to work, a shopping centre or a hospital appointment and then back home again without having to wait around for too long.
We also need more funding for demand-responsive bus services such as CATS which supports people with mobility issues. CATS currently covers Aldeburgh, Leiston, Saxmundham, Framlingham, Woodbridge and their surrounding areas and provides a fantastic service, but relies on volunteer drivers.
What we actually must do is reverse the policy that sees bus routes purely as a source of profit, and go back to the idea that they provide a public service. The Green-led administration at East Suffolk Council is looking at how to provide more funding for rural buses but, like all local councils, is suffering from cuts to government funding. If elected I will press the new Government to act on this important local issue.
Julian Cusack
