IT was good to see on the Yellow Bus website and social media the other day the new routes planned for parts of Christchurch.

With the extension of the 1a to Highcliffe and the introduction of a new night bus from Bournemouth to Christchurch I hope many, like me, will see these moves as a very welcome benefit and will actually use them.

For Highcliffe in particular I hope many will make full use of their route into Christchurch and Bournemouth.

Like many I understand bus companies do not run bus services for the sake of it, they are a business and need to make a profit.

However with this last point in mind I feel they have again missed an opportunity to serve a population of around 2,000 families in addition to the elderly, the commuters and the lonely as yet again Burton again is missing from any new schedules.

Yes, many in the village know that morebus run a very efficient Route 24 but this only operates Monday to Fridays and between 9.02 and 14.41 so it misses many residents who actually may need a bus.

For those commuting to work, those with hospital appointments in Bournemouth and those going to and returning from a night out in Christchurch or Bournemouth, it is not acceptable and something needs to happen.

Is there however a possible ray of sunshine on the horizon? This May a new administration will be voted in to the new BCP Council. I read with interest one of the plans they have prioritised is an interest in getting traffic off our over congested roads and getting people onto sustainable transport options through their Local Transport Plan (LTP).

Many of the commuters and staff at the RBCH have no choice if they live in Burton, they have to use a car and join the congested roads. Hopefully the new council will take a look at this problem as part of their overall strategy and possibly, just possibly work with both or one of the local bus companies to help part subsidise a route at the correct time of day and basically say to the people of Burton, here is your bus, now thank the bus companies and council by using it. It’s a basic speculate to accumulate philosophy.

BRIAN CASE

Springwater Drive, Christchurch