Main Content

Latest News:

* 12 January 2023 - Master Document / v1.4 (draft)
* 20 December 2022 - review of year, looking forward to 2023
* 2 October 2022 - ClimateFest
* 17 September 2022 - Electric Bus Demo - Melksham
* September 2022 was "Catch the Bus" month.
* 4 April 2022 - BSIP - no award to Wiltshire
* 24 Feb 2022 - draft Wiltshire Enhanced Partnership and comment
* Jan 2022 - short term timetable changes

* 15 Dec 2021 - Slides for Cross-border meeting
* 29 Oct 2021 - 'Final' Bus Service Improvement Plan
* 11 Oct 2021 - BSIP as submitted and supporting documents
* 7 Sep 2021 - Draft BSIP, current year, Option 24/7 master organisation
* See http://old.option247.uk for the old (2016) campaign site

Questions asked ...

In the main FAQ - [here]

• What is option 24/7?
• How does the Option 24/7 FAQ stack up alongside Wiltshire Council's FAQ?
• Will the bus I use remain unchanged?
• Will any services be lost under option 24/7?
• Why should I worry - "I'm all right - my service is safe because ..."
• Why are you calling it Option 24/7?
• Can you put the amounts of money the council is looking to save into context?
• How does bus franchising make a difference?
• How do bus journeys compare to train journeys?
• What about bus passes?
• What about fares and ticket prices?
• What do the bus operators think?
• Which bus services are subsidised and which ones are commercial?
• Are you working with Wiltshire Council
• Where would the money to pay for the services come from?
• Will the services run with knackered old buses?
• The consultation talks about saving by avoiding the need to travel in the first place. Good idea?
• What about service specification and marketing?
• Why not treat each route in isolation like happens on current subsidy contracts?
• Bus stop information
• Why do we need buses at all?
• How about community transport
• What about school buses
• Car parking ...
• What about bus and train ticket interchangeability
• What do you mean by "fanning" services?
• Extra buses for special events
• What knowledge and track record do team behind Option 24/7 have?
• How can I get in touch with you?

In FAQ Extra - [here]
These are answers added since site launch in answer to specific requests, but have general interest. They are largely cut and pasted from forum and email responses and may be very specific!

• Is this just a consultation response web site?
• How much have you looked at the details?
• Will you use smaller buses for smaller loads under option 24/7?
• Are commercial services safe under options 1 to 6?
• What about cutting the salaries of county "Fat Cats" to save money?
• Can the Council introduce a small charge per journey for concessionary bus pass holders?
• If the buses were not subsidised and buses run by independent company's how much would the price of a bus ticket be?
• Re: cost of fares without subsidy: Route 2 between Devizes and Salisbury is fully funded by Wiltshire Council. If I understand the table published by the Council, each passenger journey cost the Council £1.70 (except, to paraphrase Mrs. Thatcher, it is not the Council's money it is Wiltshire council tax payers' money). So if fares went up by £1.70 I assume the service would break even. Not sure how 'cost' of free bus pass journeys are factored in but as there is no income on the route from concessionary customers I would assume, if we were to pay the fare increase would be reduced.
• But doesn't everyone have a car?
• If the subsidised service is withdrawn, how much extra would the operator need to charge the council for the mandated school service?
• please give An example of what option 24/7 would encourage
• "I used to be able to walk to my local shop. But is closed and now I have to use the subsidised bus to get to the nearest town. What will I do when the bus no longer runs?"
• Are you campaigning against the council?
• Where do quality schemes work already and how would they fit in to Wiltshire?