Bay Life contributors, the Westham and Pevensey Local Transport Partnership has recently celebrated a key date in its diary.
The beginning of May 2012 saw the organisation reach the end of its first successful year in operation. WPLTP has moved from being an organising and fund raising body to becoming an operator of a service which is flying the flag for innovation and usability.
At the benchmark meeting on Tuesday 1 May, courtesy of Sharnfold Farm, Stone Cross amongst the splendid tea, homemade scones, with jam and cream, the thirty something invited guests were given the opportunity to hear the story first hand of how the unique community and business partnership is beginning to thrive.
Joyce Richards, director of the company measured the succcess with some well chosen words;
‘The generosity of local people who help the Westham & Pevensey Bus to operate, and the kindness and courtesy with which officials and local businesses give helpful advice is a great example of how a community can work together’.
Crucial to her report was the fact that she could point to a big uptake in the services on offer with ‘an increase with 50% more tickets issued than in the previous year’. She was also able to tell the meeting that ‘operating costs had been held down’.
Her report rang to applause with County Councillor Tony Freebody adding that;
‘this is a community working together to provide a great service to the Westham and Pevensey area. I am delighted to be here and to give Westham & Pevensey Bus my continuing support’.
What followed turned into an engaging and inclusive hour in which driver Mick Mortlock explained how much he ‘enjoyed meeting the passengers and being part of the team’ and passenger Joyce Huggett said that ‘being a passenger was fun, that the organisation was a great service to the community and that a great deal of care and courtesy was shown by the drivers’.
People were left in no doubt about how much time and effort was going into maintaining and developing the quality of service and how much, in return, people were getting out of using the service.
Last word was left to Shirley Lentle, one of the self-styled ‘phonies’ who ably man the telephone lines to take bookings for the unique bus, ‘I like to give newcomers information about the services and the locality. I enjoy the friendly chat with people and hearing how wonderful the drivers are…’
The organisers describe their mission with a simple statement… ‘you don’t have to run for the bus, it runs to you….’ As the public profile of the service grows, no doubt we will be hearing much more about ‘the bus that runs to you…’
Further information about this pioneering project is available here on the Westham and Pevensey Local Transport Partnership website.
Simon Montgomery
editor
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