PASSENGERS who have been inconvenienced by timetable changes in the Okehampton to Exeter bus service could be cheered by news that the bus operator is to review the route and look at the possibility of increasing capacity. West Devon and Torridge MP Geoffrey Cox met senior directors of First Bus Company recently ? and was promised that the company would review the operation of the X9 bus from Bude to Exeter, which includes Okehampton within its route. The meeting was arranged following concerns expressed by local bus users about the new timetable introduced this summer. The decision to withdraw the evening bus from Exeter left a number of commuters stranded in the city. At a meeting last Friday with Marc Reddy, managing director of First Bus Company, Mr Cox told of the significant problems the new schedule has caused for many pensioners in Okehampton who use the service to attend hospital appointments at Wonford. Following the meeting, Mr Cox said: ?I am pleased that First have undertaken to review a number of their routes in Devon with a view to increasing capacity. Public transport is a critical link for those living in rural communities across Torridge and West Devon, and it is vital effective and efficient services continue to be available. I am confident having heard the very real concerns of the passengers, First will be better able positively to review the needs of its passengers particularly in Okehampton and Holsworthy.?
