CHANGES to bus timetables were ill-conceived, an Okehampton town councillor has claimed after passengers were turned away from a morning bus service to Exeter last week because the vehicle was too full. Cllr Hyder Pirwany said: ?My daughter went to catch the 9.55am X9 from Okehampton West Street to Exeter on Monday morning, August 14. ?However, she was left behind by the bus driver with several others because the bus was full. This situation can?t be allowed to continue. What if someone had a hospital appointment at the R D & E?? Cllr Pirwany said he could not understand how operators First Devon and Cornwall could say they had cancelled or reduced many bus services because there were not enough passengers, when there were clearly still a large number of people wishing to travel to Exeter. Under the new timetable introduced three weeks ago, there is now no direct service between Okehampton and Exeter from 7.40am-10am ? many people in the town are therefore reliant on catching the latter bus into the city. Cllr Pirwany, said: ?The previous 9.15am bus service must be put back right away along with the bus services from Exeter after 5.45pm.? A spokesperson for First said: ?Capacity requirements can be very unpredictable, especially during the summer. ?We closely monitor passenger levels and try to provide additional vehicles whenever a reasonable need emerges?
