Following your wide-ranging article on the bus patronage issue in England [routeone/Big Story/8 January], I was interested to read the large increase in bus patronage in Thurrock.
As an ex resident of that Borough, it is absolutely no surprise to me that this was achieved.
The bus services we suffered back then in the 1990’s were atrocious. Infrequent, unreliable and using decrepit vehicles from a previous operator.
Then along came Ensignbus into the local bus market. I believe it runs mostly commercial services.
We visited friends in Thurrock between 4-5 January. What a transformation.
Modern vehicles in a fantastic corporate livery, buses spotless and clean inside and out, polite and welcoming drivers ready with a smile and frequent services on some routes, for example Socketts Heath to Grays town centre. They turn up and go and are reliable.
There is a lesson to be learned here in this microcosm of bus services for a very great many bus operators.
Surely this is all the travelling public ask of bus services – it is for me.
