Save the 324 - a Surrey Mirror campaign
After plans were announced to scrap bus services across the borough, the phones haven’t stopped ringing on the newsdesk of the Surrey Mirror.
Our inbox has been filled to the brim with letters and e-mails from outraged passengers – the formerly "invisible" population who use the 324 service.
Surrey County Council said its grandiose scheme follows complaints from residents "concerned about seeing empty buses".
Our readers have found this hard to believe – so do we.
And following the bold example set by Val Milesi, we are launching our own campaign to protect the service, which links Horley to
The Surrey Mirror has this week launched our Save the 324 campaign to help those who rely on the daily service.
Whether you’re a grandparent, parent or school pupil – the loss of a bus service will affect you with more cars on our already clogged roads.
Number-crunchers at County Hall in
Register your objection and leave a comment below.
For a full list of proposed changes - click here.
To see our previous stories, follow the links below:
Fight begins to save vital bus routes
Bus routes scrapped after complaints of 'empty buses'
St Bede's School buses safe from cuts
School buses face the axe
12 Comments
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by Peter Jackson, Reigate
Monday, January 04 2010, 8:47AM
“Surely use of public transport as opposed to private motor vehicles should be encouraged. Axing a bus service used by many local people should be avoided, especially where there is no satisfactory alternative means of public transport.”
by Niall, Horley
Wednesday, December 23 2009, 6:23PM
“So, how are we meant to get to Reigate from Horley, when we want to get to College but have late starts?
£3.20 is alot for a single train trip, whilst changing at Redhill. And not very useful for people that live on the other side of the town.
Also, it will mean that bus users will have to take the 100 up to the Hospital then go across, and knowing how busy that road can get, it may mean missing the linking bus.”
by John, Redhill
Monday, December 14 2009, 8:02AM
“We make regular use of this essential bus route which provides not only easy access to Sainsbury, Tesco and Morrisons but also town and medical services and the railway.
The Local Authority could and should consider:
- Concessionary travel for the
under sixteens.
- Sensible ticket prices to
include off-peak fares.
- Increasing the frequency of
the service.
- More real time indicators at
bus stops and on-line.
- Seeking financial support
from major retailers.
- Considering a park and ride
scheme south of
Redhill/Reigate served by
the 324.
Wielding the axe to our bus services is really not the answer! Please be constructive and think again.”
by L.Fraser, Smallfield.
Thursday, December 10 2009, 9:02PM
“I find it unbelievable that Surrey County Council cannot provide post-16 education in the Horley area forcing students to travel further afield and then want to cancel the bus routes that take the students to college! My daughter has applied to Reigate college for September 2010 but will she be able to get there or does she need to look at other alternatives?”
by Derek Freeman, Reigate
Wednesday, December 09 2009, 8:51PM
“The only bus from Wray Common to Redhill. The problem is that the times are not frequent enough. There should be a bus to get people to Redhill Station to get the morning London Trains. It does not seem fair that some areas of Reigate/Redhill get a frequent service and our area gets very little.Can we have the old 447 circular service back.”
by Geoff MacKrell, Sidlow
Wednesday, December 09 2009, 10:41AM
“In the Ironsbottom area, there is a small group of elderly, infirm or young people who are frequent users of the 324 bus service. They do not have independent means of transport, and uniquely, on this route, would have to walk two miles in either direction to access a public service to reach any of the local shopping centres. Please Surrey, think again!”
by Julian Rueff, Redhill
Monday, December 07 2009, 1:37PM
“We live in Park Road and use the 324 less than frequently but more than occasionally. From here the route is extremely useful to get to Reigate, Horley and since the service was amended recently, to Hookwood Tesco. Most of the route is not served by any other bus, and life would be made that much more difficult for many people.”
by Teresa, Redhill
Sunday, December 06 2009, 9:06AM
“I wonder what other routes will be next in line to suffer from the wielding axe of S.C.C.”
by Thomas Fox, Horley
Sunday, December 06 2009, 7:46AM
“The 324 bus is the only direct route from Horley to Reigate and is used frequently by myself and my wife. We are over 70 and have passes so appreciate that we do not pay but we prefer Reigate for a lot of shop as it is such a pleasant town to come to and Horley has lost so many shops. To travel the indirect rout would mean a shopping trip that we can do in less than two hours would take more than four hours. People who live between Hookwood and Woodhatch have only the 324 to take them to town. THe plans are ill considered.”
by Alan Edwards, Caterham-on-the-Hill
Friday, December 04 2009, 7:14PM
“I can remember the good old days when the original route 424 ran from Reigate to East Grinstead.
Then came deregulation of bus services in October 1986, and gradually over the years many bus routes have been cut back or withdrawn.
I feel that Southdown PSV are doing a wonderful job with the current route 324, the buses are modern, clean and green and the drivers are friendly.
I wonder what other routes will be next in line to suffer from the wielding axe of S.C.C.
I also wonder how many (if any) of those that implement these cutbacks actually travel on the buses themselves.
All this will achieve is to put more cars onto our already clogged up roads.
This appalling situation reminds me very much of the drastic cuts which took place on our railways following the Beeching Report of 1963.”