Please sign to save the Norfolk Coasthopper bus

[mealsonwheels]

Many caravanners, motorhomers and campers use the Coasthopper bus, which has been running along the Norfolk coast for 21 years and has been a lifeline for local residents between King's Lynn and Cromer.
A question mark now hangs over the service, after bus firm Stagecoach East indicated at the end of January that it would slash its Lynn based operations.
A petition is now underway to save it and if you are interested in saving this vital service, please sign the petition, which can be found online at: you.38degrees.org.uk
So far, 6,500 people have signed.
Many thanks if you would sign it too.

 

[Montrose]

Hello Meals on Wheels.
Have you thought this through and who do you think will operate the service? Stagecoach are closing their Kings Lynn depot and operations as it does not pay them. So who is left in that area ? Lynx bus in Kings Lynn ?, a very young operator (2015) they do not have the capacity or the vehicles to take on this service, which has a PVR (peak vehicle requirement of nine.) Saunders of Holt ?, they are doing fine in their own area thank you and wont want to commit to this service as they do not have the right vehicle size mix. First Bus in Norwich ?, they are patently making efforts around Britain to shrink their operations (viz Plymouth, Dorset, Wigan and I hope soon Greater Manchester (oh lord in my lifetime please ? ) Konnectbus ?, well they cannot get out of Norfolk fast enough - see what they have left currently after withdrawing from Gt Yarmouth, Lowestoft et al. North Norfolk is NOT prime bus operation country revenue wise, if you are local, you will know that most councils throughout Britain are cash struck and the sponsorship of something like the Coasthopper is not the best use of their meagre resorts in this cash strapped climate, I am not trying to dishearten you, I use the service when on holiday there myself, but reality says that a petition to save this route needs thinking about and underpinnng with ideas rather than wishful thinking. Sorry, but life is a reality.

 

[Montrose]

Well Mealsonwheels - Most of your prayers have been answered!
It would appear that Lynx Bus (Kings Lynn) will operate a much reduced service (hourly at best) from Kings Lynn to Wells along the old Coasthopper route. This bus will continue to Fakenham replacing Stagecoach Norfolk's old 29.
Saunders of Holt have been recruiting and will operate the Wells to Cromer section as their No. 4 (by extension of their North Walsham service to Cromer) again at low frequency ( mostly 2 hourly ) But they have agreed to join up the timings at Wells, when possible, so you will in fact still be able to travel the whole route. ( Details are on Both Lynx Bus and Saunders of Holt own websites) - You lucky people !!