Concern after coaches left out of new transport hub

Private coach companies have been told they may not be able use a new multi-million pound transport hub leading to safety concerns for vulnerable passengers.

Swindon's coach companies, who operate from the current bus station, will not have bays at the new facility on Fleming Way, which begins services on 31 August, and may instead have to operate from a separate location.

Director of Barnes Coaches, Luke Barnes, said the change could be a "barrier" for elderly and disabled passengers and may prevent them from travelling altogether.

Swindon Borough Council said it would be reviewing if it could accommodate any additional coach services at the new facility over the coming months.

Richard Foggin said he goes on coach trips with Tracy Hanlon every couple of months

On Monday Barnes Coaches took 38 passengers from Swindon's bus station to Hampton Court Palace.

Richard Foggin, who lives in the town, said he uses the company for day trips every couple of months, adding that the plan to exclude coaches from the transport hub "doesn't make sense".

"It's so convenient to have Barnes coaches come to the bus station," he said.

Another customer, Georgie Jefferies, travelled to Swindon by bus from Royal Wootton Bassett and said: "If there's no link then there's a problem. It could be late at night.

"It may affect us travelling on coaches in the future, sadly."

Luke Barnes said that at the moment they have an allocated bay at the bus station which means customers can easily commute into town to catch a coach

Mr Barnes said the company was informed of the plan last week and that because they have a bay allocation at the current bus station they had assumed they would be included in the new development.

"Our big worry, as we saw during Covid, is a lot of people might not want to use a new stop and might stop travelling by coach all together," he said.

Mr Barnes said that while there may still be some flex, this may be "too little, too late".

"If we had had an open dialogue with the council four or five months ago we might have avoided this situation, we could have come up with some suggestions at that point," he said.

Steven Blanchard said he is worried about the impact the changes could have for his customers

Steve Blanchard has been running Steves Bargain Trips via Facebook for nearly 10 years and has more than 12,000 followers.

He hires coaches and drivers from Ellisons Coaches in Ashton Keynes and takes people on trips across the country ranging from theatre matinees in London to excursions to Coronation Street in Manchester.

He said he often encourages people who are lonely and potentially vulnerable to join the trips, adding: "It's not all about pounds, shilling and pence, we have a laugh, it's a community."

Mr Blanchard said he is concerned for his customers, especially those who have special needs and disabilities, who would need to travel from the drop-off point to a taxi or bus to get home.

"I will be going home thinking to myself 'has such and such got home ok?'," he said.

"I'd encourage Swindon Borough Council to really reconsider this."

Swindon Borough Council said it will be reviewing the situation over the coming months

Swindon Borough Council's cabinet member for the environment and transport, Chris Watts, said: "As with all major infrastructure projects there will need to be a period of adjustment to make sure the bus facility is operating efficiently and to assess if there is additional capacity for more services."

Mr Watts added that they have been liaising with Barnes Coaches to provide the company with its own dedicated bus stop on Princes Street, which he said has three car parks in "close proximity".

"Barnes Coaches was fully supportive of this approach and of other coach services using the same bus stop," he said.

"I encourage all coach operators within Swindon to get in touch with the council so we can fully understand their needs."