Voyage of the unknown for dodgem's first passengers
Apparently the driver looked surprised to see them. In fact he looked like he'd seen a ghost. This was the day that the Ealing Ghost Bus finally got itself some passengers.
Ealing Passenger Transport User Group had organised the day trip. They were joined by journalists from the national press and a local councillor for the chance to see first hand what it was like aboard the government dodgem - the bus that has helped it dodge consultation on a scrapped west London train service, costing us £500 per day to run.
The once-weekly rail replacement bus first came to the public's attention when it was spotted that is not advertised on any timetables or departures screens and staff at the stations it serves are not aware it exists, and yet regularly runs without passengers.
Jon Ball, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Ealing Central and Acton, was among those making the trip to south London.
The Ealing Common Councillor said: "It was a very pleasant journey, but everyone abroad was there either as a member of the press or a curious party. There was not one passenger who was actually using it as replacement for a train service.
"This simply serves to highlight the smokescreen that the government has put up to avoid a consultation.
Mr Ball said he would be pursuing the matter with the help of Liberal Democrat MPs."
Until December 14, Crosscountry ran two trains a day between Birmingham and Brighton, using track between Ealing Broadway and Kensington Olympia.
Around 80 passengers a day used the rail service but, if passenger numbers on the bus remain ghost-like, ministers may claim there is little demand and axe the "rail service" altogether.
A spokesman for the Department for Transport said that the line was being monitored and the DfT is currently looking at the best way of meeting passenger demand, which may result in more regular local rail services.
He said that passengers have been using the replacement bus service.
January 16, 2009