‘Is cutting the winter bus timetable going to save that much?’ commuters ask.

COMMUTERS in East Devon question whether scrapping the winter bus timetable is a worthwhile cost cutting measure and ask will it really save that much?

Devon County Council revealed yesterday (Tuesday) that the exercise has saved the public purse �34,000.

The Midweek Herald asked the question ‘How much did it save?’ after residents shared their views on the subject.

No new bus timetables are being printed by Devon County Council for this winter in a bid to cut costs.

Instead of printing updated versions, leaflets and addendum booklets are being produced detailing some of the service changes, which the local authority says are “relatively limited”.

Harvey Leonard, 78, of Honiton, said: “Is cutting the winter bus timetable going to save that much?

“It is not going to affect me, as I never really use the bus.

“I don’t know whether it is a good idea - it depends how many people use the bus timetable.”

Kim Burges, 48, of Sidmouth, said: “It is a shame the timetable has to be cut but, on the other hand, what are they going to save money on?

“As long as the council tells us what they are doing. They still shouldn’t have cut the timetables.

“It must cost a lot of money to print, but they do need to ensure it is updated online - so you can print it off yourself.”

Wendy Blackledge, 48, of Newton Poppleford, added: “It is a shame, because people do rely on them.

“It would be useful to have a correct online version.”

Kate Vale, 30, of Honiton, said: “Maybe the bus timetable should not have been cut. It’s silly, given the large section of the population that don’t use the internet.

“It all depends how much is spent on printing the timetables.

“The council could cut something somewhere else, like deliveries, and look at cutting the production costs.

“Cutting the winter timetables will probably affect the elderly population.”

Sue Mathison, 64, of Feniton, said: “I’m fine with the council cutting the winter bus timetables - as long as it makes the changes known to the public.

“I didn’t know the timetable was being cut – the council needs to let us know.

“It doesn’t appear that there would be a big saving.

“If the council cut the table and keep the bus services, it could be a worthwhile exercise.

“It is still important to have timetables if you need them - especially if you need to catch connecting buses or trains.”

Judith Roberts, 60, of Honiton, said: “It makes it too complicated.

“The council should make it easier for people.

“It needs to make customers happy.

“It will have an affect on me – I don’t use the bus very often and need a timetable. The new updates might fall out.”

“It is a silly, false economy.”