One of the effects of the major service change in November was that route 23 was changed quite substantially to absorb as much of route 232 as possible (as this was being cancelled).
Route 23 is a once a week shoppers bus from Stroud to Cheltenham whilst route 232 was a once a week shoppers bus from The Camp to Cheltenham. Both travel via many villages way out in the sticks and it is the choice of villages that once again causes an issue!
In November the villages on the 23 route were Slad, Sheepscombe, The Camp, Bisley, Miserden, Whiteway, Caudle Green, Brimpsfield and Birdlip whilst route 232 served The Camp, Miserden, Whiteway, Cranham, Brimpsfield, Birdlip, Winstone, Elkstone, Cowley, Cobberley and Ullenwood.
Out of all these locations Bisley, Cowley and Cobberley have alternative services and so were immediately dropped from the new route 23 and, because it is important that the service is no longer than 50km in each direction, there was a choice to be made between Caudle Green and Elkstone.
At the time we chose Elkstone, because having had experience of operating both routes over many years, I remembered that there were regular passengers at Elkstone but Caudle Green was a lengthy hike off of the main road for no passengers. How ironic that all of a sudden the opposite appears to be the case!
And so we are soon to change the route to correct this!
I will be pleased to be returning to Caudle Green if only to give a possibly unique sign its purpose back. The sign, located at the only possible point at which you can turn a bus reads 'no parking on Thursday'. Also another sign in Brimpsfield can be returned to a purposeful existence, this one reads 'bus route to Caudle Green'.
I am glad that the 232 did not survive as leaving Cheltenham with a destination display proudly proclaiming 'The Camp' does not sit comfortably with me!
Merry Christmas from TransportInfo !
3 days ago
